The Legislature of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands, meeting in Ushuaia

Tierra del Fuego Legislature Approves Controversial Aquaculture Law Reform

ARGENTINA
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

The initiative, sanctioned by only one vote difference, prohibits salmon farming in the Beagle Channel but generates high social conflict and the threat of legal action.

The Legislature of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands, meeting in Ushuaia, sanctioned the modification of Provincial Law N° 1355, which regulates the sustainable development of aquaculture, on Monday evening. The vote, which concluded close to 9:50 PM, was tight, resulting in eight affirmative votes and seven negative votes.

The reform, which seeks to promote the Sustainable Development of Aquaculture, centered on an extensive debate about the legality of the opinion. Legislator Pablo Villegas (MPF) strongly questioned it, calling it “unconstitutional,” which opens the door for the law's approval to be judicialized. Opposition sectors, including environmental organizations, scientists, and tourism representatives, have warned about the risks the activity could generate in fragile ecosystems such as the Beagle Channel.

The majority of eight legislators who voted in favor consisted of Gisela Dos Santos, Tomás García (or Virgilio García), Federico Greve, Juan Carlos Pino, Matías Lapadula, Myriam Martínez, Luciano Selzer, and Natalia Graciania. On the other hand, the negative vote of seven came from Laura Colazo, Jorge Lechman, Damián Löffler, Federico Sciurano, Pablo Villegas, Raul von der Thusen, and Victoria Vuoto.

Key Points of the New Law

The approved opinion establishes that aquaculture activity must consider a triple approach: environmental, social, and economic. Among its most notable provisions, the law expressly prohibits all activity related to the cultivation and production of salmonids in the waters of the Beagle Channel, in order to ensure the comprehensive protection and preservation of this ecosystem. However, in lakes, lagoons, rivers, and streams, the consultative use of water will be permitted, guaranteeing current tasks of safeguarding fish broodstock and restocking, in accordance with Provincial Water Law 1126.

The Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands is located in the Patagonian region, in the far south of Argentina, and occupies a large insular, maritime and Antarctic territory, which extends from the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego to the South Pole, including Isla de los Estados, the Falkland Islands, the South Atlantic Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula. 

To regulate the activity, the Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development of Tierra del Fuego is created, dependent on the Secretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Production and Environment, with the objective of promoting applied research. Furthermore, the law mandates the implementation of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to delineate suitable zones for aquaculture development. All aquaculture projects must present a Project Notice Guide (GAP) and an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) prior to their development. The norm also requires reserving a percentage of the total production for local consumption.

Following the sanction, Governor Gustavo Melella celebrated the approval via his social media channels, calling it “an important moment for the productive future of Tierra del Fuego.” The governor assured that the norm “updates and strengthens the regulatory framework” to expand the productive matrix and promote private investment, incorporating “the highest standards of environmental control.”

Despite the governmental celebration, the sanction of the law has reignited a strong public debate and anticipates a scenario of high social and political conflict, with potential mobilizations and legal actions driven by sectors that reject the installation of salmon farms in Fuegian waters.

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