Source: MercoPress
Chile’s Under secretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture, SUBPESCA, and Oceana Chile jointly announced the freezing of the fishing footprint for the common hake and demersal crustacean fisheries. This means that 98% of Chile’s exclusive economic zone, EEZ, will be protected from bottom trawling.
Undersecretary Pablo Berazaluce indicated that the Government of President Bachelet has shown clear commitment to improve sustainability standards. “In this sense, working with civil society organizations with whom we share the mission of harmonizing economic activities while taking care of the environment, is crucial,” he said.
“The fishing footprint was determined on the basis of the historical operation of the fleet of both fisheries – common hake and demersal crustaceans – in a period of 15 and 16 years,” said the head of SUBPESCA, and specified that the measure “it does not impact economic activity, nor does it affect employment sources.”
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