President Bachelet announces plans to improve aquaculture

Published Last updated

Kate Casey

The 21st of May is a national holiday in Chile, commemorating a dramatic naval battle against Peru on this date in 1879. All of Chile’s military goes on parade and the President gives a national speech. This year President Michelle Bachelet announced plans that will have a positive impact on the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The most notable improvement will be large investments in education, such as providing funding for technicians and professionals to specialize in other countries. President Bachelet chose the aquaculture sector to illustrate her point by stating, “They [aquaculture technicians and professionals] will be able to see how it’s done in Norway.” Improvements in public works will also be of great benefit for the salmon and mussel farming industries. President Bachelet announced plans to improve transportation connectivity between Puerto Montt and Chaiten, regions with the highest amount of traffic related to salmon and mussel farming operations. She also confirmed the expansion of a two-lane highway uniting Puerto Montt and Calbuco. This roadway in particular is known to have the most severe head on collision accidents, principally due to the high traffic and high speeds of vehicles associated with aquaculture production in the region.