Unanimous Senate vote to help tsunami-struck Aysén
Late last week a unanimous vote went through the Senate to solicit measures from the Ministries of the Interior and of the Economy and Finance to reactivate fishing and fish farming activities in Aysén. The primary urgency needed to reactivate the local economy revolves around getting the processing plants back in operation, and to do that they need the fishermen and fish farmers to get back to work. According to Aqua.cl, what the senate has proposed is the following: allow anticipated use of aquaculture concessions; reconsider the expiration of concessions; maintain concessions installed in high risk areas until these areas are more clearly defined as to where the real risks are located; process in an expedite manner the solicitations for new concessions; and most importantly, emit concession resolutions that have technical projects already approved. As for the obstacles facing the local fishermen, although they have received safety training and financial support to alleviate their situation, the senate recognizes that the government must develop more training programs, and investigative fishing projects in conjunction with the naval service to determine safe and high risk fishing grounds.
