During the 'Salmon Summit 2026' held in early May, Chile's ministers Daniel Mas Valdés, BiMinister of Economy, Development and Tourism, and of Mining (left), and Francisca Toledo Echegaray, Minister of the Environment (center), explained how the reconstruction bill will affect the sector.
Photo: SalmonChile.
This week, the Chilean National Congress approved by majority vote the announced 'National Reconstruction and Economic and Social Development Law'—better known as the "reconstruction bill" or "reconstruction plan"—promoted by the new government of José Antonio Kast. While it still needs to pass the Senate, the Chilean salmon industry has already expressed its support for this first step.
"At SalmonChile, we value the approval of the Reconstruction Plan. It is undoubtedly a positive step and one that goes in the right direction to boost the country's growth, recover jobs, and generate the certainty required for long-term investment," stated Patricio Melero, President of the trade association.
Since taking office in March, Melero had been demanding certainty and "a long-term vision" from the new government. "We expect leadership, clear rules, and a long-term vision for the development of southern Chile," he then said. "We need regulatory clarity, legal certainty, and an agenda that not only enables but also drives investment, innovation, and the adoption of new technologies. Without certainty, there is no investment, and without investment, there is no development."
Legal certainty, explained by the Chilean government as the "streamlining of sectoral permits and protection of investment," is one of the key pillars of the reconstruction bill. For this reason, the 'SalmonSummit 2026' held in early May under the title 'Certainties for sustainable growth' dedicated a panel to the topic in which the Minister of the Environment, Francisca Toledo Echegaray, and the BiMinister of Economy, Development and Tourism, and of Mining, Daniel Mas Valdés, participated.
Both state ministers analyzed the regulatory challenges and the paths to recover the certainties necessary for sustainable growth of Chilean aquaculture, contributing to the development of southern Chile in harmony with the environment.
Minister Toledo presented the special voluntary process for the national reconstruction bill, which will allow project proponents to opt for fewer iterations in the environmental assessment, provided they submit projects with more developed background information. The environmental authority emphasized that sustainability "is not only declared, it is also practiced," highlighting the presidential directive to "meet deadlines" and announcing significant reductions in environmental assessment times.
For his part, the Minister of Economy presented the idea of "sustainability centered on the human person," rejecting the dichotomy between economic development and environmental protection. BiMinister Mas described salmon farming as "a source of good news" in a context of mediocre growth, noting that the sector exceeded USD 6 billion in exports in 2025 and generates more than 85,000 direct and indirect jobs, primarily in the Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes regions.
Mas specified that the reconstruction bill incorporates key measures for industry: legal certainty and streamlined permitting processes; priority tax stability; and employment tax credits. "Without investment, it's impossible to increase productivity and innovate," he noted, while urging the business leaders present to be "pioneers" in this reconstruction and assuring them the government would ensure they have "a clear path" to produce, create jobs, and positively impact their communities.
At the close of the 'Salmon Summit 2026', Patricio Melero reiterated his message calling for certainty. "We require and need efficient, balanced, and intelligent regulations that, while demanding and in line with the current context, are designed to promote the standards of this activity, but not to stifle it or hinder its development," he stated.
"We neither want nor ask for privileges or advantages. We are aware of our capabilities and what we can achieve as an industry, as well as the contribution it can make to the country and its people, especially those of our beloved southern Chile," he continued, before emphasizing the three fundamental pillars: "unity among all stakeholders, effective collaboration, and the deep conviction that our growth must always be sustainable, safeguarding environmental, health, economic, and social aspects."
Now that the reconstruction bill is moving forward, the President of SalmonChile highlighted once again the main challenges and opportunities facing the sector, while also appreciating the recent announcement by Chile's Undersecretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca) confirming its willingness to review pending applications for the relocation of salmon aquaculture concessions.
"For our sector, modernizing regulations is fundamental to operating more efficiently and with higher sustainability standards. In that sense, addressing the simplification of relocations is a very important and necessary measure, but it will require clarifications and adjustments in the Senate to ensure its full and correct implementation," Patricio Melero warned.
"We hope that the Senate will maintain its sense of urgency during the legislative process. As a sector that directly impacts hundreds of SMEs and sustains employment in southern Chile, we reiterate our willingness to engage in technical dialogue to achieve a law that truly contributes to Chile's productive development," concluded the President of SalmonChile.