The Senate of Chile approved, without votes against, the government's short bill that modifies the current Fisheries Law regarding the fishing licenses for the industrial sector.

 

At the core, the Executive's initiative ends with the automatic renewal of industrial permits at the end of the current 20-year period, in line with a commitment signed by President Sebastián Piñera.

 

The proposal also establishes the obligation of the State to combat illegal fishing, as well as a series of specific rules in that area.

 

Thirty-six senators voted, in general, in favor of the project and none opposed it.

 

During the debate, congressmen from different parties stressed the willingness to dialogue that the Government has shown in this matter, through the undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Eduardo Riquelme.

 

"The Government of President Piñera committed during the campaign to promote changes to the fisheries law and today we have taken an important step with the general approval of the short law," said the Secretary of State.

 

"In this way, the Government is fulfilling a commitment it has acquired with all Chileans, our idea is that we have a strong fishing sector, but at the same time we have resources that are sustainable over time and, of course, that there are equity conditions in the sector. We hope that the project has a good and fast processing in the Congress," he added.

 

Changes in the regime of industrial permits were added to other amendments introduced by the Senate Fisheries Committee, chaired by Senator Rabindranath Quinteros, in the framework of a permanent dialogue between the congressmen and the Executive, through the undersecretary Riquelme.

 

These subjects are related to the human consumption of seafood products, management plans and artisanal fishing, among others.

 

Riquelme valued the approval of the project, as well as the good development of the debate around this initiative. "We are clear about the different aspects that we must protect: the development of artisanal fishing and employment in industrial fishing," he said.

 

The authority added that "the essence of this law is that it puts an end to the automatic renewal of the rights of the industry, so that when the 20 years that they are currently enjoying are over, 100 per cent of those rights will be auctioned."

 

"Jointly with this main idea, several indications were incorporated, unanimously by the Fisheries Committee, which were discussed and debated, highlighting fundamental aspects for the world of artisanal fisheries, as they unanimously recognized almost all the senators, constitute an advance for the legitimation of the law, the development of artisanal fishing, and also for industrial fishing in relation to competitiveness and stability of the rights it has until the year 2033," explained the undersecretary.

 

After its ratification in the chamber, the short bill will continue its processing in the Upper House. 

 

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