Fisheries undersecretary Eduardo Riquelme argues the initiative will favour aquaculture reordering.

Senate Committee approves of mussel concessions relocation bill

CHILE
Wednesday, November 21, 2018, 00:20 (GMT + 9)

The Senate’s Fisheries Committee approved on Monday, in general, the bill that authorizes the relocation of mussel concessions.

The initiative -- which entered the Legislative in mid-2017 and was recently dispatched by the Chamber of Deputies -- will lead to a comprehensive reordering of the aquaculture sector, according to Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture Eduardo Riquelme.

Mussel farm. (Photo: Camanchaca) ►

During the debate of the proposal, different actors linked to the world of mussels showed agreements regarding various issues addressed by the bill.

That consensus, added to the disposition shown by the Executive and the congressmen to reach understandings around the articulated, smoothed the procedure in the committee.

The bill entered the Upper Chamber a little over a month ago, after its ratification by the Chamber of Deputies. Now, the senators must analyze the initiative in particular, both in committee and in court.

►Mussel stocking. (Photo: Stock File)

Chile is the second mussel producer globally as well as the world's leading mollusc exporter. The activity generates some 17,000 jobs and has been key in the development of the national aquaculture sector.

Undersecretary Riquelme argues that the initiative will favour a reordering of the aquaculture area and will have positive repercussions in other areas, such as health and control.

"Eight years ago, the Office of the Comptroller General pointed out that many of the aquaculture and maritime concessions were misplaced," explained the authority, regarding the origin of the bill.

Operator separating mussels from the ropes to allow their growth. (Photo: Serpanesca) ►

Initially, the locations of these concessions were defined based on a georeferencing process. In subsequent checks, however, the more precise character of the GPS system evidenced those errors.

"In other words, the places where they are currently located are different from those indicated in the resolutions that granted the concessions," summarized the head of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Along with the ordering itself, the implementation of the standard will facilitate the merger of some of these areas, which is positive, in the undersecretary’s view.

"This purpose facilitates the control, and secondly, it has effects from the sanitary point of view, since the cages are rotated within the merged spaces," he explained.

The relocation of the mussel concessions should be combined with those of salmon and the location of the fishing grounds.

The session this Monday was attended by the Division of Aquaculture of Subpesca head Eugenio Zamorano and by the attorney Eric Correa.

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