Senator Rabindranath Quinteros, president of the Fisheries Committee. (Photo: Courtesy of Agencia UNO)

Project limiting giant squid capture to be voted in the Senate

CHILE
Wednesday, September 26, 2018, 02:10 (GMT + 9)

With the agreement to justify the decision in the chamber, the Commission of Maritime Interests, Fisheries and Aquaculture, supported the bill with a majority voting (three votes in favour and two abstentions), in second constitutional procedure, which modifies the General Fishing and Aquaculture Act in order to regulate giant squid capture.

In the core part, the legal text proposes that "the species Dosidicus gigas or giant squid can only be caught using a jig (group of hooks joined together) and/or a hand line as a gear and/or fishing rigging, being prohibited any other type of gear and/or fishing rigging".

A model of jigger used by the artisan sector. (Photo: Library of Congress / camara.cl)

Senator Rabindranath Quinteros, president of the Fisheries Committee, praised the support and stressed that the giant squid is exclusively for human consumption, in addition to the fact that its catch has also enhanced the creation of cooperatives.

"This is an advance in the environmental challenges imposed by the world (...). The pending task has been to delimit percentages of accompanying fauna that makes it possible to carry out operations without risk of performing violations," he said.

Artisanal fishing operation with a manual jigger. (Photo: Ernesto Labarca | Library of Congress / camara.cl)

The Commission also advanced with the general approval of the amendment of the General Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, regarding tradable fishing licenses and incorporates regulations to prevent illegal fishing (Bulletin 11704-21), known as the "Short Fisheries Act", for which it was reiterated, in addition, that it will be merged with diverse motions whose authors are ex-Senators Hernán Larraín, Andrés Zaldívar and Senators Rabindranath Quinteros, Adriana Muñoz, Manuel José Ossandón and Ximena Rincón.

The consolidated legal text will continue to be studied in the Commission, an instance that it stressed that "there is no longer talk on such a short act".

Industrial jigging boat with a light system. (Photo: NASA11/Library of Congress/camara.cl)

In this regard, Senator Quinteros indicated that the project he proposed seeks to contribute by taking charge of other matters, such as ownership of resources, licenses, extension of the five miles to the whole territory, trawling, human consumption, among others.

Likewise, Senator Ximena Rincón appreciated that adding the diversity of motions makes it possible to "have all the cards on the table" to move forward.

Distribution of the giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the American Continent.

Most of the legislators agreed on the conciliatory role of the Undersecretary of Fisheries to favour the way to debate all the legal initiatives as well as the transparency achieved by the parliamentary body to "treat the message in the face of the community".

Related articles:

- Industrial sector crewmen and captains criticize politicians for 'giant squid bill'
- Undersecretary explains Executive’s opposition to giant squid bill
- Bill regulating giant squid fishery goes to Senate

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