Squat lobster, Pleuroncodes monodon. (Photo: Viz & Seizoen)
CHILEFriday, December 12, 2014, 23:40 (GMT + 9)
Fishing leaders from Tomé, Bío Bío region, are requesting the Government to increase squat lobster (Pleuroncodes monodon) quota increase for next year, since a reduction would imply that out of the current eight months’ annual work they can only fish during five months.
The fisheries sector hopes that based upon the technical background, the authority can check the squat lobster quota volume set for 2015.
To this end, leaders of the Federation of Fisheries (FESIP), crew members, marine motormen, chiefs and representatives of the firm Camanchaca, accompanied by the mayor of Tome, Ivonne Rivas, presented their problems to the Commission Fisheries of the Senate last Tuesday.
The meeting was also attended by the head of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA), Raul Sunico, and authorities of Instituto de Fomento Pesquero(IFOP), reported Radio Bío Bío.
This week SUBPESCA has released global catch quotas for the next period, set on the basis of the work developed by the Scientific Technical Committees of the fisheries and Management Committees.
In the case of the squat lobster, SUBPESCA decided to reduce quotas from 8,000 tonnes to 6,000 tonnes, that is to say 25 per cent.
Fishing leaders argue that when the new quota was defined, all the scientific background was not available. They stressed that a survey to gather information is underway and to the data so collected what should be added is the results of an investigation conducted during October-November, which was unavailable when setting the quota.
According to José Alveal, Camanchaca marine motorman sector leader, this reduction "would be harmful" to Tomé and to Camanchaca workers.
Hake fishermen have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the quota set for next year.