MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay inaugurates fishing port terminal

“The Argentine government understood, after 200 years of struggle,” that Montevideo's port offers better conditions than that of Buenos Aires

Uruguayan authorities inaugurated a new fishing port in Capurro on Tuesday after a US$ 110 million investment, an “important milestone” that will house the activity in Montevideo, President Luis Lacalle Pou explained. The head of state also pointed out that “it has been many years since a public port was built here.”

He also highlighted the port reorganization and the concession to the Cuenca del Plata terminal, while National Ports Administration (ANP) Director Juan Curbelo underscored the movement of vessels in these years, not only in terms of fishing but also of containers. Twenty-five hectares were gained from the river, 20 of which are the port alone, while another five will be used for other improvements in the area, Curbelo noted.

Lacalle also specified that the construction of the Capurro Fishing Terminal entailed the removal of 32 of the nearly 50 sunken ships in the shallow River Plate basin affecting navigation.

In addition, the President announced the beginning of the dredging works of the access channel to Montevideo's port terminal, which, he assured, “will be a before and after.” Following an understanding with Argentina, the channel will be 14 meters deep.

”This is our deep water port. There may be ideas of building a port to the east of our country, [but] so far, nothing has shown there is enough cargo. The last experience (2010-2011) of a port that was to load between 55 and 62 million tons came to nothing,“ he added.

”The Argentine government understood, after 200 years of struggle between ports, that you cannot go against nature; that our port has a different depth,” he also mentioned.

Joining him at the celebration were Ministers José Luis Falero (Transport), Fernando Mattos (Livestock, Agriculture and Fishing), and Raúl Lozano (Housing and Territorial Planning), among other high-ranking officials.

During the event, Uruguay's Chamber of Fishing Industries President Juan Riva Zucchelli said he believed the new project would boost his sector, which is currently facing profit imbalances.

According to Falero, the Capurro terminal will help decongest Montevideo's port, which is expected to increase its cargo capacity and favor the activity nationwide. “Our ports are called to be ports of reference in the region,” he said.