The Government of Chile passed the National Oceanic Policy, a regulation that lays the foundations for the conservation and sustainable use of the sea and its resources; combating illegal fishing, marine pollution and the effects of climate change in the ocean, as well as protecting certain areas.
The signing ceremony of the decree was headed by the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz; of Defense, José Antonio Gómez; of the Environment, Marcelo Mena; of Economy Promotion and Tourism, Luis Felipe Céspedes.
“Chile’s commitment to the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources is part of this awareness. Facing the Pacific and having as our fundamental pillar our oceanic vocation, we have taken on the task of carrying out actions to protect our sea in all its extension, as a legacy for the future generations that will inhabit Chile and the world,” the Head of State said at the time.
In addition, she explained that on February 27, when signing decrees declaring the new Marine Protected Areas, Chile multiplied the marine surface under official protection by ten, from 4.3 per cent to 42.4 per cent of the area that is exclusive economic property of the country.
“The Marine Protected Areas require management, monitoring and surveillance plans, including new platforms and technology for their effective control, and it is necessary to make the development of an economy open to the world compatible, where the bulk of its foreign trade is carried out by sea, reconciling at the same time the interests of the various sectors linked to maritime activity, from artisanal fishing to industrial activity, from the development of infrastructure and logistics, to the control of sovereignty and scientific exploration, to name some sectors,” said Bachelet.
For his part, the national director of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service, José Miguel Burgos, welcomed the signature that will allow the country to have an Ocean Policy.
“It is a great step that also allows the country to have support to meet its international commitments in both conservation and fisheries, and that will allow us to continue moving forward in terms of reducing illegal fishing, the main activity that is currently affecting the state of our marine resources,” he said.
At the end of her speech, the highest authority of the country stressed the importance of this decree.
“This ocean policy will constitute the general baseline in different scenarios to conserve and sustainably use our ocean and its resources.This transversality is key to configuring a balance between the activities carried out in it.This necessary convergence towards sustainable development is what has inspired this step that we are taking today.The welfare of future generations is the central objective of the conservation efforts in which we have been engaged during my term and that the National Oceanic Policy, which I now have the satisfaction of passing, seeks to articulate and integrate,” she said.
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