Chile’s congressmen Hugo Gutiérrez, Lautaro Carmona and Sergio Aguiló, supported by the Council of Defence on the Fishing Heritage (CONDEPP) and Centro Ecoceanos, presented this Tuesday a motion to repeal the Fisheries Act, the one that turned into property the fishing quotes to seven industrial families in a corrupt legislative process.
On the occasion they also confirmed the propose of that this demand of annulment of the Ley Longuiera would be one of the main issues in the programme of the government of Michelle Bachelet.
Lautaro Carmona said that we requested the abolition of the named Ley Longueria, because the Chilean society and the organizations linked to the fishing wonders from when the legislation was conducted in accordance with the big fishing industry companies and against the interests of the artisan fishermen, against the interests of the origin peoples and violating the (ILO) Agreement 169.
Considering the money handed over from the company Corpesca S.A. to the congresswoman Marta Isasi, Carmona denounced that the actual law is a corrupt law, when a law arise from violating elemental matters of the debate such the independence that the members of the parliament must have against the sectors which theme is in question, and not prevent, an act that did not the congresswoman Isasi, reveal that she is object to a wrongful pressure, in this case by Corpesca.
Consulting the congressman if they will propose the derogation of the Ley Longueria as one of the main issues in the governmental programme of Michelle Bachelet, he responded that without a doubt, this will clearly set out for us in real and we will not withdraw what we stipulated to do today. This should be a theme that is linked to not only the health of how the economy are functioning in the country in some sectors that are not of small economic yield, but is also linked to the tributary reform, a reform that is announced and that should be carried out.
Bribery in the Fisheries Act
At the press conference carried out this Monday in the National Congress building in Santiago, members of the parliament, fishermen and ecologists also reaffirmed the demand of investigation of the financial connection between the fishing companies and the members of the parliament that legitimated the Ley Longuiera.
In light of this, the congressman Hugo Gutiérrez affirmed that Corpesca is a corrupt agent that gave money to members of the parliament and which do not agree on that with this it did a permanent accompaniment to the congresswoman Isasi.
The rule of Law could not function through bribery, gifts or reward and this means that this law are under judgment and it is why I joining the request of a derogation and I believe that the whole Chile has to support the derogation of the Fisheries Act because this mean a return of the marine biomass to all the Chilean people, confirmed the member of the parliament.
Gutiérrez also called for to recover the natural resources for the Chilean society by stating that what is at stake here is that the Chilean people have or not right to enjoy fully the natural resources that belongs to everyone and not to seven families, said the member of the parliament.
Fishy money for the presidential candidate Longueira?
Regarding the money transferred from the enterprises to the politicians, Cosme Caracciolo of CONDEPP said that together with the money received by the congresswoman Marta Isasi, we are cuestioning the interests of the congressman Patricio Melero since he represent communes without any sea, but always he has been integrated in the Fishing Commission and he has always voted in favour of the fishery industries, added the artisanal fisherman.
He also marked that the people of the sea are wondering if Melero has received money from the enterprises and we also wonder if the actual presidential candidate Pablo Longueira, who propelled the law that privatized the fishes, are receiving money for his campaign from de fishing companies that were benefited from this law.
Investigation over congressmen
Together with the critique for the money received by the congresswoman Isasi, fishermen and Centro Ecoceanos presented a demand to the Ethics Commission of the Chamber of the Members of the Parliament in order to investigate the conflict of interests of the parliament member Jorge Ulloa.
Juan Carlos Cárdenas from Centro Ecoceanos, affirmed that it all started with the congresswoman Isasi, now it continues with the congressman Ulloa and the idea is to deliver information about how a this undercover network operated, funded by the big industry. We have already two families, of the seven that are directly beneficiated. This indicate that it becomes a public demand, the abolition of a law that apart from being unfair, also is illegal.
From what occurred with Corpesca and the congresswoman Isasi, now we have come to the role of the family Sarquis that dominate in the region of Bio-Bio, over the congressman Jorge Ulloa. In the case of the family Sarquis he through the enterprise Blumar gave the family 12 per cent of the quotas, said Cárdenas.
Because of this we request the Ethics Commission of the Chamber of the Members of the Parliament to investigate the role of the congressman Ulloa and his wife, through the enterprise Cargo Service Ltda. that has contracts of transport of fishmeal, not only with Blumar but with various others companies that operates in the zone.
We are demanding a motion to repeal the Fisheries Act for being an illegitimate law, corrupt and illegal and we want that they reveal a list of the members of the parliament to which Corpesca also gave money as in the case of congresswoman Isasi, affirmed the director of Centro Ecoceanos.