Government authorities and fishermen of the Caleta La Barra Union celebrated this historic event for La Araucanía.

For the first time, artisanal fishermen initiate capture of feral salmon

CHILE
Tuesday, January 22, 2019, 23:50 (GMT + 9)

The fishermen of a cove in Toltén, in the Araucanía, have begun the capture of feral salmon, after which, for the first time in the country's fishing history, the artisanal extraction of this resource is regulated.

In the estuary of the Toltén River, artisanal fishing has developed historically as a subsistence activity on fishery resources called "fine fishing", but with variable availability during the year. In this way, the entry of chinook salmon into the estuary is an opportunity for economic development for the fishermen of La Barra.

Area of operation of the fishermen of Caleta La Barra (red dots) in the Toltén River. (Map: Subpesca)

The Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA) issued a supreme decree authorizing 32 artisanal shipowners from Caleta La Barra to harvest chinook salmon in the 6.8 km length of the Toltén River estuary, from the mouth to the cemetery.

Likewise, the decree establishes that the fishing of this resource may only be carried out between December 15 and 28 (or February 29) of each year, and only from 8:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. the next day.

Rowing boats used by fishermen from Caleta La Barra, Toltén River. (Photo: Subpesca)

The Ministerial Regional Secretary of Economy of the Araucanía, Francisco Lopez, maintained that it is a historical event. 

"There is a before and after with the decree signed by President Sebastián Piñera, in favor of the chinook salmon fishing in the estuary of the Toltén River, which will make a substantive contribution to the economy of the families of caleta in La Barra ", He said.

The same satisfaction was expressed by the president of the Caleta La Barra Union, Aldo Ulloa: "Today we fulfill the dream of being regularized because we can work in peace," he said.

The fishing leader said that the challenge now is to improve the commercialization, because his product destined to human consumption "obtains a special category, does not come from hatcheries".

Gillnet used by the fishermen of Caleta La Barra, Río Toltén. (Subpesca)

This regulation is the result of the work of the fisheries authorities together with the fishermen and with the relevant information provided by scientific researchers from the Universidad de Concepción and the Millennium Nucleus Invasal, who carried out a study of several years in the Toltén basin to quantify and characterize the population of chinook salmon, a species introduced in the late 1990s into water bodies in Chile.

"In 2014 began the first scientific research that quantified the population of chinook in more than 10,000 individuals, reaching figures higher than 43,000 individuals in later years. The results of this biological-fishing study allowed Subpesca to initiate the regulation of the chinook salmon fishery," explained researcher Pablo Savaria, biologist in charge of communications at the Millennium Invasal Nucleus.

"The implementation of the management plan that regulates extractive activity is in charge of SERNAPESCA. The joint work of these three institutions covered by the Ministry of Economy has been and will continue to be key to the management of hydrobiological resources such as chinook salmon, promote its sustainability and reduce the ecological pressure that this invasive species generates on the native species of the Toltén River,” he added.

The fishermen of the Caleta La Barra cove will now be able to catch chinook salmon, like the one in this photo, in the estuary of the Toltén River, La Araucanía region

Meanwhile, Alicia Gallardo, national director of SERNAPESCA, stressed that the new provision implies an exceptional measure valid only for the fishermen of La Barra. For the rest of the Toltén basin, as well as the other rivers, lakes and lagoons, both of the Araucanía and of the other regions of the country, rules of recreational fishing that establishes that it is an activity for recreational purposes, non-profit and where fishing with nets is prohibited.

With regard to the inspection procedure of SERNAPESCA, the institution has coordinated the presence of inspectors permanently at the point of unloading of the creek. In addition, networks and vessels qualified for extractive fishing have been marked, therefore, the call is to respect the administrative measures imposed to ensure the sustainability of the chinook fishery in Toltén.

The oversight body also indicated that the marketers that are part of the production chain should always move the resource with the corresponding legal origin accreditation.

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