Marine Harvest salmon cages. (Photo: Marine Harvest)

Marine Harvest denounced for bonus payment to avoid penalty

CHILE
Tuesday, September 11, 2018, 01:20 (GMT + 9)

The artisanal fishermen sector denounced company Marine Harvest of summoning some unions in the area to be part of the bonus for capture of escaped specimens in order to avoid a greater sanction after the escape of about 650,000 salmon in Calbuco.

According to the complaint, the company would be paying CLP 400,000 (USD 580.6) to the fishermen who sign the declaration, biobiochile reported.

Manfred Barría, president of the Federation of Artisanal Fishermen's Unions, said the document says that the firm fished four tons of salmon, gave half to the company and sold the other half.

For his part, Marco Sanchez, another fisherman, said he fears that actions will be taken against fishermen because they have no quota to catch salmon.

So far, the company has recovered about 5.5 per cent of the fish that escaped, far from the 10 per cent that must be accredited to avoid environmental damage, which could receive a fine of 3 thousand monthly tax units (UTM) ) and lose its concession from Punta Redonda farming centre.

Eduardo Aguilera, regional director of the National Fisheries Service (SERNAPESCA), said that they do not have any antecedents on what was reported, but that if confirmed, it would be irregular.

The salmon company, in a statement, said that these are "agreements destined to support with an individual contribution those artisanal fishermen who had a prominent role in the recapture process."

The payment would be known by some authorities who will wait for the salmonella data to be entered before acting.

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