Giant squid, Dosidicus gigas. (Photo: Stock File)

Bill regulating giant squid capture splits industrial and artisanal sectors

CHILE
Friday, May 11, 2018, 23:50 (GMT + 9)

Artisanal fishermen from Bío Bío welcomed the approval in the Fishing Commission of the motion setting the jigging method as the only giant squid capture gear.

The industry, meanwhile, received this vote “as a bucket of cold water.” They believe that parliamentarians have not measured the impact they will have on the area.

Dozens of leaders from the artisanal world were present in the Commission's hall and more than a hundred outside Congress at the time this bill was voted, which has provoked angry protests in the Bío Bío Region in recent weeks.

From the Federation of Artisanal Fishermen, FEREPA Bío Bío, they valued the result, which was approved by 12 votes in favour of the bill seeking to end giant squid trawling.

Hugo Arancibia Zamorano, president of this organization, indicated that they support the technique that artisanal fishermen use, but that catch should be increased, so caution should be exercised with the quota.

In addition, FEREPA believes that the registry should be opened to incorporate a greater number of artisanal fishermen to this fishery, so that they can regularize their catch.

For the industry, on the other hand, which is assigned 20 per cent of the annual quota of this resource and that last year bought giant squid for USD 20 million to the artisanal sector, parliamentarians definitely lack information.

Macarena Cepeda, ASIPES president, said that the deputies have not dimensioned the scope and impacts of this measure.

"Here the threat is real (...) the stability of the quality work delivered by the fishing industry is being threatened," she criticized.

In the industry they are convinced that, if this initiative prospers, it would cause a labour crisis of great proportions in the area.

This was commented during a business forum organized by ASIPES and where the main speaker was Elena Conterno, president of the National Fisheries Association of Peru.

Although the leader, who was also Minister of Production of that country, did not refer directly to the giant squid issue, she emphasized that the management of resources is key for sustainability.

The bill was sent to the Chamber for voting, so from ASIPES they anticipate that they will continue to approach parliamentarians who will have to decide if the jigging gear or hand line is established as the only gear to catch this squid that is processed currently in dozens of plants in the Bio Bío Region.

Source: BioBioChile

Related articles:

- Fishing association rejects use of 'inhuman line' for catching giant squid
- Bío Bío fishing industry strike leads to over USD 7m in losses
- Bío Bío workers agree on fishing vessel and plant stoppage

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