The governor of Tierra del Fuego, Gustavo Melella , communicated this Saturday via WhatsApp with the director of Agenda Malvinas and told him that the project for breeding and industrializing salmon in captivity did not arise from the interest of the Newsan business group , but rather from his administration: "to be very honest, "This initiative is mine," he stated, adding that "only the Atlantic coast is authorized, and for land-based production, the tonnage is increased. It is not permitted in the canal."
The Fuegian leader responded to the article published by this newspaper last Friday, entitled: SALMON FARMERS IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO: LABOR SOLUTION OR PRECARIOUS BUSINESS? where we questioned that in a strong context of crisis, due to the thousands of jobs threatened in the Tierra del Fuego electronics industry due to the tariff liberalization of Javier Milei , the controversial installation of salmon farms resurfaces "promoted by the Newsan group and supported by La Libertad Avanza" and that for this, there was no other alternative than to repeal Law No. 1355, recently sanctioned, arguing the creation of jobs.
Minutes later, the director of Agenda Malvinas sent him a series of questions that Governor Melella promised to answer through the Fisheries Secretariat.
Written questions sent to Gustavo Melella:
- Whether the initiative is yours, or just yours, means that you developed it with your cabinet or part of it. With which department specifically? How long have you been working on the project? Do you believe the restrictions imposed by Law 1355 impede the "healthy development" of salmon farming? Is it counterproductive? Was it issued hastily? Regarding the authorization on the Atlantic coast, what is the intended or projected volume in that case? How far from the coast are the cages expected to be installed? Is the objective to promote private initiative? Or is there a possibility of state integration? How much labor is estimated per ton of salmon? Does the project contemplate a percentage for local consumption? Beyond being an initiative of your administration, it is public knowledge that the legislators of La Libertad Avanza, the Newsan group, and Mirgor also have interests. I have been informed that Mirgor has purchased coastal land from Ea. Rolito for land-based or RAF production. Have you spoken with the aforementioned legislators and representatives of both business groups?
Without answering the questions that the Tierra del Fuego Fisheries Secretariat will ask later (Agenda Malvinas contacted Undersecretary of Fisheries Diego Marzioni early this Monday the 2nd to convey a message from the president) , Melella denied that he was adapting a project at the request of local business leaders, or that he had spoken with them. However, he did admit to having spoken with legislators from the Libertad Avanza party. "No. With the business leaders, no. With the legislators, yes. I have the business leaders in my element and I would cut off their hands for what they did with the agreement with the UOM," he confided in an audio recording.
- Do you think the restrictions imposed by Law 1355 impede the "healthy development" of salmon farming? Is it counterproductive? Was it passed hastily? We asked Gustavo Melella again. And this was his response around midnight this Sunday, after arriving in Buenos Aires on a commercial flight: "Yes, I think it was a very restrictive move. I agree with protecting the canal, but not with restricting other areas and capping production. The approach was more environmental than productive," the governor of Tierra del Fuego concluded.
