Chilean politicians vote for a Ministry of the Sea
Politicians in Chile have voted to ask the country’s president to create a Ministry of the Sea which would look after activities such as aquaculture and fishing.
The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the country’s Congress, voted by 98 votes to 13, with 13 abstentions, in favour of the move, which seeks a strong, coordinated institutional framework for the development of activities carried out at sea, and the protection of marine wealth and the marine environment.
Alejandro Tenorio, director of the Maritime Alliance of Chile, which aims to represent all the companies, organisations and activities related to the sea, welcomed the move.
Too much bureaucracy
“We have always stressed the importance of creating a Ministry of the Sea, due to the bureaucracy that currently exists in matters of aquaculture and fisheries, merchant marine and ports, and it is relevant to centralise in a single Ministry all the activity in the Chilean maritime area,” said Tenorio.
He added: “It must be considered that in March, there will be a change of president, and that in February a period of legislative recess takes place, however, a new Congress will then surely take on this key issue for the country with greater force.”
Excellent initiative
Carlos Odebret, president of the Magallanes Salmon Farmers’ Association, said: “The idea of giving greater emphasis to the sea is an excellent initiative and is justified by the national marine space that must be managed, by the participation of fishing / aquaculture in national employment, also because it is an important part of exports other than [primary export product] copper and very especially, because the future of food and perhaps also energy lies in the sea.”
The idea of creating a Ministry of the Sea is not something new. In 1971, a bill to form such a ministry was presented to Congress by the government of Salvador Allende. However, the process has not gone beyond being an initiative, so far.
