MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Toughened stance taken on authorisation of Korean factory vessels.

The Chilean government has requested a report from Korean fishing authorities regarding the 80 vessels that were authorised to work opposite the Chilean coast, reported the Foreign Secretary, Soledad Alvear

This initiative was made by the Chilean fishing sector, which believes that these vessels are putting national marine resources in danger.

El Mercurio, one of the most influential newspapers in Chile, highlighted the need to establish a public policy regarding the use of Chilean ports by deep-sea fishing vessels, thus demanding compliance with conservation norms and the use of satellite monitoring systems.

It also emphasized the benefits of bilateral agreements with each high sea fishing country, such as the one which was recently established with China.

"Our authorities must strongly define policies regarding this issue, as it is one of our principle economic activities. This issue must be treated as top priority, just like when Chile was the first to declare the universalisation of the 200 miles economic zone in 1947. This is an issue of national interest."

The report also mentioned the necessity for Colombia's collaboration in the implementation of the Galapagos Agreement, which aims to preserve the region's ichthyological richness. It believes that Colombia's participation should be confirmed in the next few days during the Colombian president's visit. This opinion was also voice in a report to El Mercurio submitted by a former National Fisheries Minister, and in a report submitted by Sonapesca president, Roberto Iglesias, to La Tercera.

According to El Mercurio, if conservation norms such as those implemented in the national jurisdiction are not established on the high seas, resource sustainability will be threatened.

"There is excessive fishing effort at all latitudes, leaving exhausted and plundered waters behind in search for others whose biomasses, although healthier, are not necessarily more abundant," it reports.

The alarm raised by the announcement that Korean vessels have been authorised to operate in the South Pacific has been further aggravated by the presence of Chinese and Russian fleets on the boundary of the Chilean EEZ. These vessels exploit jack mackerel, a migratory resource present both inside and outside of the 200 miles, which accounts for 50 per cent of traditional extractive fishery, and is the main consumable in the salmon industry.

Spanish vessels are also operating in this area, fishing for swordfish. No solution could be reached regarding this issue after the European vessel owners rejected an agreement authorising a certain number of vessels to carry out research fishery, provided they carry a Chilean observer.

Source FIS.