In 2008, Chile approved a law that prohibits the killing, hunting, capturing, harassment, transportation, processing, commercialization, or storage of any cetacean species.
Laboratorio de Ecología y Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos, de la Universidad de Valparaíso.
The United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has confirmed that Chilean export fisheries and aquaculture centers comply with U.S. standards regarding the protection of marine mammals.
NOAA, through its National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), has established "comparability findings" for the laws and conservation measures implemented by the South American country to promote sustainable fishing practices that are environmentally friendly and protective of marine life.
Additionally, the United States appreciated the action plan approved by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) for farming centers, aimed at minimizing serious harm or mortality in the event of entanglement or the entry of animals into farming systems, as well as the use of perimeter nets around fish pens to reduce these risks.
Finally, the North American country highlighted the law passed in 2008 that prohibits the killing, hunting, capturing, harassment, transportation, processing, commercialization, or storage of any cetacean species; the general harvesting ban on marine mammals; and the specific ban on the South American sea lion.
Chile has relied on science to reduce the impact of fishing and aquaculture on marine mammals. The conclusions from the United States support continuing collaborative work with that country and focusing on its market.
Additionally, Chile has made efforts to protect critically endangered species, such as the southern right whale, where there is already a bilateral commitment between Peru and Chile.
"Chile is working on the continuous improvement of its regulations and collaborative, participatory work between the public and private sectors. This also allows us to project as a competitive advantage the ability to reconcile both aspects when positioning ourselves in international markets," reads a statement from Subpesca.