Sardine and anchovy could become more profitable if used for value-added preducts. (Photo: Stock File)
CHILE
Tuesday, August 19, 2014, 01:00 (GMT + 9)
Several small fishing companies believe it would be beneficial to allocate a portion of their catch of sardine (Strangomera bentincki) and anchovy (Engraulis ringens) for direct human consumption (DHC) to obtain a higher return on these resources.
Traditionally, more than 95 per cent of the catches of both pelagic species has been allocated in Chile to fishmeal and fish oil production but the new Fisheries Act in 2013 set that a quota of sardine and anchovy must be reserved for smaller-sized companies for human consumption.
Five plants of the Bío Bío Region recently managed to gain the bid of 1 per cent of the global quota of these resources, a percentage that represents about 14,000 tonnes. One such company is Inversiones Caboma, which owns a processing plant in Tirúa, Aqua reported.
Francisca Rubio, commercial manager of the family business, explains that they are seeing "how to build this business based on complex resources to manage."
Companies that participated in the tender will have access to sardine and anchovy quotas for three years, a term during which products for markets will have to be developed for their trade.
According to the fisheries consultant Pablo Galilea, former head of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA), entrepreneurs increasingly seek to use these resources as a direct human food source.
This redirection of the catch would have a positive impact in terms of employment and profitability, but it requires some structural improvements, such as the availability of refrigerated holds in artisanal vessels that supply the raw material.
From the sector, it is considered necessary to have the state support to assess ways for the product to reach the processing plants in good condition.
In addition, the artisanal ship owner Jose Luis Gallego, Verdemar’s partner, considers what is required is "public policies that encourage the consumption of products such as fish burgers and cakes, among others, that can make," are required.
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