Falkland Islands fury as new fishing row erupts with Argentina - 'imperialist plunder!'

Plans to build large-scale salmon farms off the coast of the have triggered a fierce backlash in , with critics raging at what they regard as "imperialist plunder" and a potential environmental disaster on the scale of Chile's salmon farming collapse. Unity Marine, a company backed by Danish and British investors, is seeking to establish eight salmon farms between three and seven kilometres off East Falkland.

The operation aims to produce 50,000 tonnes of salmon annually, with the capacity to expand up to 200,000 tonnes. A public consultation on the plans is ongoing and will run until August. While Unity Marine's director, James Wallace, has defended the initiative as a vital economic boost for the , opposition in is broad and vocal. Environmental groups and officials warn that the farms threaten fragile marine ecosystems across the region, including nearby Tierra del Fuego, where salmon farming was banned in 2021.

Catalina Cendoya of the NGO Por el Mar told TN Argentina: "A salmon farm is a feedlot in the water: it releases chemicals, pesticides and creates dead zones from fish waste."

She also pointed to the risks of farmed salmon escaping, as frequently seen in Chile, where environmental and social fallout has been severe.

Chile's experience is cited as a cautionary tale. Areas such as Los Lagos and Aysén have suffered mass die-offs of farmed salmon, alongside pollution and ecosystem damage.

Prensa Obrera recently highlighted that 80 workers in Chile's salmon industry died between 2013 and 2024, many employed under precarious and hazardous conditions. Escenario Mundial reported that 40% of the workforce is subcontracted, exposing them to further risks.

The Argentine publication Prensa Obrera called the Falklands salmon farming proposal "imperialist plunder," warning it would replicate Chile's pattern of environmental harm and labour exploitation.

Opposition to the project extends throughout Argentina, with Tierra del Fuego's ban reflecting years of community resistance. Even on the Falklands, groups like Salmon Free Falklands have criticised the consultation process as "confusing and biased" and urged a boycott.

Ms Cendoya said the risks are clear: "If there are salmon in the Malvinas, they will reach the continent.

"They are predators that will alter the balance forever."

With Patagonia on edge, the salmon farming plans have become a new front in an escalating geopolitical and environmental dispute between Argentina and the UK.

The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands-known as the Malvinas in Argentina-has been fiercely contested since the 19th century. Argentina claims the islands as part of its territory, a claim rejected by the UK, which has administered them since 1833.

The 1982 Falklands War, in which almost 1,000 troops died, underscored the volatility of the dispute, which remains a sensitive issue in both countries.

Any resource development in the islands is viewed through this geopolitical lens, amplifying tensions over economic and environmental control.