44 divers have died working on Chilean salmon farms in the past 20 years. Critics say reform is long overdue.

Chile's government is coming under increasing pressure to put an end to a staggering run of deaths among commercial divers working in the salmon industry over the past two decades.

Following the latest fatality last week, the death toll now stands at 44 since 2004, according to Chilean maritime authority figures supplied to IntraFish by salmon trade group Chile Salmon Council.

Most recently, Kateryn Perez Moraga, 30, working for subcontract firm Austral Service, died as she carried out maintenance work on a Nova Austral site in the Magallanes region.