Questionable Socio-economic Impact Assessment

The Socio-economic Impact Assessment of Salmon Farming is considered not fit for purpose as a basis for decision-making.

This is the second FIG consultation document that Salmon Free Falklands have had reviewed and the results are the same as for the first: it is not fit for purpose.

  • The Consent Order of 7 June 2024 stipulates “that all relevant decision makers are properly informed on the respective advantages and disadvantages of large-scale fish-farming, so that they and the Falkland Islands community can make an informed judgement on the industry.”

Salmon Free Falklands approached Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd to undertake a review of the Socio-economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) of Salmon Farming in the Falkland Islands, produced by Hatch Associates for the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) in July 2025. 

The Eunomia SEIA review explains: “While we found the SEIA to be a detailed piece of work with a well-structured narrative, overall, we do not consider the SEIA to be fit for purpose as a basis for decision-making.”

“The SEIA’s stated purpose is to inform public consultation, however, for the reasons set out in this report, primarily that it presents an incomplete and overly optimistic picture of the impacts, we consider that in its current form it risks misleading, rather than informing, the consultation.” 

The Eunomia SEIA review can be viewed here.

  • “This report confirms our worst fears: the benefits of salmon farming to our economy have been overstated, the costs unquantified, and as a result there is no robust evidence to support the promise of successful economic diversification and grand revenue streams or even profits for the operator at the production quantities described”.

    “We suspect that in an attempt to narrowly follow the one-sided Consent Order and Letter of Comfort FIG entered into, FIG have ignored consultation first principles that should be to truth, rigour, balance and the public interest, not salmon farming plans. As a consequence they have produced a report that is not fit for decision making”.