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Mackerel is the main fishing resource in Chile in terms of catch volume. (Photo: NOAA)
NGO calls for horse mackerel quota reduction
CHILE
Thursday, August 19, 2010, 17:30 (GMT + 9)
The NGO, Oceana, requested that the Ministry for the Economy reduce the annual quota for horse mackerel fishing until a figure has been recommended by experts from the Institute of Fisheries Growth (IFOP).
The entity which sent the economy minister, Juan Andrés Fontaine, will show a background report that shows an over-allocation of the annual quota set for horse mackerel during the past 10 years.
According to the study, between 2003 and 2010, the National Fisheries Council (CNP) invariably set the annual quota for horse mackerel, at higher catch limits than was recommended by the technical reports from the IFOP.
While in 2009, this quota was 87 per cent higher than what was recommended by the agency.
According to Oceana's executive director, Alex Muñoz, "fisheries management failures were revealed in this report to be one of the main causes of the depletion of mackerel in the waters off Chile's exclusive economic zone."
"We believe it is essential to significantly reduce the annual quota of horse mackerel, at least, it should be consistent with the recommendations made by the FIFG," he went on to explain.
Annually, the CNP fixed annual quota is based on scientific reports prepared by the Subsecretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca), which in turn instructs the IFOP.
"We have requested the Minister of Finance to send a bill to Congress to reform the Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture, so that they can prohibit the National Fisheries Council from making the annual quota beyond what is recommended by the FIFG in technical reports," said Munoz.
IFOP Research indicates that between 2002 and 2010, horse mackerel suffered from overfishing and even, in some cases, depletion.
This fish is the most important for fisheries in Chile in terms of catch volume, social and economic importance, Invertia reports.
According to the latest Report on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector prepared by Subpesca, the total landings of horse mackerel accumulated up until June 2010 reached 376,000 tonnes, a figure 42.2 per cent lower than in the same period of 2009 (650,250 tonnes) .
Between January and June this year, the area between regions V and X landed 183,100 tonnes of the resource, representing 48.7 per cent of the total.
Meanwhile in the XV and II regions, 158,700 tonnes of the fish was caught, and in areas III and IV, some 34,100 tonnes of mackerel was landed.
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By Analia Murias
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