Chile: Fishermen sue Minera Escondida over discharge of waste into the sea
"Chile. Toxic spill in the sea linked to Minera Escondida devastates artisanal fishing and the ecosystem: Lawsuit ongoing,” September 24, 2025
Artisanal fishers from Antofagasta filed a lawsuit against Minera Escondida, operated by the extractive multinational BHP, following a spill of toxic waste into the sea, which has caused significant damage to the coastal ecosystem and to their main source of livelihood...
The complaint filed by the small‑scale fishers states that the spill involved contaminating material that reached the ocean directly, affecting various marine species and putting artisanal fishing in the area at risk...
The lawsuit seeks to hold the mining company legally responsible for the economic and environmental damage caused, and asks the courts to order an independent assessment of the impact generated...
To date, Minera Escondida has not issued any public response regarding the lawsuit.