Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Raul Sunico expressed strong rejection to illegal sardine and anchovy fishing and processing for fishmeal manufacture after the discovery of holds with this product in the districts of Coronel and Cabrero.
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) reported finding 5,602 tonnes of undeclared fishmeal in three holds belonging to the trading unregistered firm Salmon Chile Alimentos SA. The product contained manufacture labels of Pesquera Bahia Coronel.
“We will request the toughest sanctions that can be implemented,” ensured the sector authority.
“Illegal fishing is not only a serious attack on the sustainability of fisheries resources but also a serious economic harm to the actors catching the resources with effort, in full compliance with the rules,” he sentenced.
Undersecretary Sunico stressed that illegal fishing is a threat that must be fought, since it is one of the main problems affecting the recovery of the species.
“The responsibility to take action against these practices is an urgent challenge which we are all called to do,” he added.
The discovery of the load of fishmeal, whose value is estimated at CLP 7,800 million (USD 11.1 million), was the result of an audit that SERNAPESCA began after detecting irregularities in weighing systems. This led to the conclusion that common sardine and anchovy landings could be higher than that reported by the companies.
It is estimated that the manufacture of the seized fishmeal required more than 31,000 tonnes of sardine and anchovy.
The undersecretary said that the discovery of this maneuver “is a clear demonstration that the control system is operating with rigour”.
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