Squat lobster landing with by-catch. (Photo: Subpesca)
CHILE
Monday, August 25, 2014, 23:50 (GMT + 9)
The Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA) has decided to ban the entire crustacean trawl fleet in the regions of Valparaiso, Bernardo O'Higgins and El Maule.
The ban will run throughout the month of September and for the first time, it will match the hake fishing ban.
SUBPESCA stressed that the adopted decision takes into account the ecosystem approach and the precautionary principle of the Fisheries Act.
"Matching these two measures is a cherished aspiration of artisanal fisheries in the central region, this considering that the hake is by-caught by crustacean trawling," the Undersecretariat pointed out.
SUBPESCA head, Raul Sunico, explained the ban on crustacean trawl fleet is one of the tools they will use to meet its commitment to help protect the hake, and it predicted that in 2015 the Bío Bio and Coquimbo regions will be included.
Currently, hake is undergoing a delicate conservation status. And despite the fact that catch quotas were reduced by more than 50 per cent, no signs of recovery are seen by 2015.
It is expected that in the coming days, SUBPESCA and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) will initiate a strong campaign against illegal hake fishing.
For its part, the international marine conservation organization Oceana appreciated the Undersecretariat's decision to ban the operations of the crustacean trawl fleets.
"This measure will benefit the hake recovery, which is a very important resource for artisanal fisheries," Oceana executive director, Alex Muñoz said.
"We hope it will soon be supplemented with a comprehensive plan for the recovery of this species," he added, according to the newspaper La Nacion.
The NGO recalled that fishing for hake decreased by 70 per cent between 2001 and 2013, and that about 90 per cent of the fish caught in 2012 were juvenile specimens, that is to say, hake that had not reached reproductive maturity.
Related article:
- Deputies approve bill to ban trawling