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Chile: Fishermen protest against controversial law

Dunya News

Local fishermen continue to protest controversial law leading to violent confrontations with police.

More than 200 fishermen clashed with police in Chiles coastal cities of Valparaiso and Coronel on Tuesday as they protested a Fisheries Act currently under debate in Congress. Barricades on fire, burning tires and trash cans blockaded access roads to the bay in Valparaiso.Riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. The fishermen say that the new law threatens their livelihood and rights in the fishing industry and will make them unable to compete against big corporations.The Fisheries Act, which will take effect in January of next year, has been unpopular with small farmers after it granted big industry players coastal waters around fishing farms for a 25-year concession.According to a report by Chiles Centre of Investigative Journalism (Ciper), nine companies already farm 90 percent of Chiles three main species - the sardine, anchovy and Chilean jack mackerel.One of protesters, who was not identified by local media, said that these protests made the fishermens message clear.There needs to be consciousness among all congressmen. We do not like this law and we want to modify many things about this law. Further south in the Bio-Bio region, more fishermen deployed 40 boats in the port of Coronel to block access to the harbour as an act of protest.Protests from fishermen have taken place since the beginning of the year with the biggest opposition and violence seen in the southern Aysen region.Local fisherman want to see Chiles government regulate fishing licenses, create restricted 5-mile fishing zones and remove national policy in favour of regional policy, allowing fishermen more of an even footing among industry giants.