Footage showing the aftermath of an attack on trucks carrying live Chilean salmon smolts in the country's unstable La Araucania region is being disseminated widely on local and social media.

The trucks were attacked and set ablaze after 6 am on Monday morning during an upsurge in violence in the region.

While details of the incident remain sketchy, the attack has received widespread condemnation from trade groups and salmon companies alike.

Salmon producers whose fish were involved in the incident have not yet been named.