Chile relies on inter-institutional coordination to protect fishing activity in its national waters

The Chilean Navy — through the General Directorate of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (Directemar) — along with the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) and the Undersecretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca), is collaborating to strengthen control over fishing activities in national waters.

Regarding the active and ongoing surveillance of maritime traffic in national waters conducted by the Chilean Navy, Subpesca has emphasized the importance of coordinated work between institutions to ensure the protection of marine resources, compliance with national and international fishing regulations, and to contribute to the prevention and fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

"The concerns of artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen are valid, and it has been very important that they themselves have been able to understand the fundamental role that both authorities play in inspection and control," explained the Undersecretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Rocío Parra.

Likewise, the acting national director of Sernapesca, Esteban Donoso, stated: "All vessels arriving at our ports undergo inspection, both during their transit toward the ports and upon arrival, where onboard inspections are carried out in coordination with other agencies such as Customs, Health, SAG (Agricultural and Livestock Service), PDI (Investigative Police), and the Maritime Authority to verify various aspects."

Finally, the Monitoring and Analysis Center of the Directorate of Maritime Safety and Operations of the Navy (Dirsomar) analyzes the movement of these vessels in real time and conducts inspections by air or sea.

Chile's Commitment

Thanks to the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) signed in 2009, Chile strengthened the regulatory framework governing the use of national ports by foreign-flagged fishing vessels.

Its purpose is to prevent and eliminate illegal fishing by denying vessels involved in such activities access to ports for landing catches or resupplying.

A few days ago, the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that Chilean export fisheries and aquaculture centers comply with U.S. standards regarding the protection of marine mammals. This also proves that the South American country promotes sustainable fishing practices that are environmentally friendly and protective of aquatic life.