Artisanal Fishermen Announce Protests After Government Rejects Processing Plant for Cuttlefish: «They Don’t Want Sea Workers to Own a Means of Production»
The Bahia Narau Federation of Artisanal Fishermen from Quintero-Puchuncaví has declared the start of protests in defense of their initiative to establish a small processing plant for cuttlefish and other marine products.
This project, which has been awaiting authorization for over two years, was recently denied by the Seremi of Housing in Valparaíso. The union argues that the reasons provided for the rejection are questionable and legally unfounded.
«Our project provides a tangible opportunity to create jobs and foster development in the region, directly benefiting 320 artisanal fishermen who would own the plant. In the face of high unemployment and low consumption of fish and seafood, we believe it is crucial to advance initiatives that bolster fishing activities and create new opportunities for our families and communities,» stated the fishermen in a public announcement where they detailed their decision to mobilize.
In this context, they elaborated, «Last May, we submitted our comments to the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Housing and Urbanism. After four months of waiting, we received a negative response that we believe is legally unsound, as the comments presented should have been reviewed within the framework of the relevant competencies.»
Response «Not Legally Sound»
«We are being forced to mobilize,» warned Hugo Poblete, president of the Federation, who pointed out that the response from the Seremi of Housing «is not legally sound because it is not their role to determine whether a permit is valid; they should have merely reviewed the compliance.»
«Furthermore, they are wrong to claim that in the rural area where we plan to establish the plant, hazardous companies cannot be placed. We classify ourselves as a nuisance company, not a dangerous one, according to the Seremi of Health, because the waste does not remain at the plant; its removal is outsourced,» explained the leader.
On the classification as a nuisance company, Poblete clarified that it aligns with several other businesses «located nearby, which include truck washing, bus washing, and large warehouses that also use liquids and waste, and contain them in their facilities. Thus, our classification is perfectly valid.»
For this reason, the union representative stated, «this is an ideological and political maneuver, not an environmental issue. This government does not want sea workers to own a means of production. I represent 320 fishermen, each of whom would be an owner of this plant, and that is precisely what they do not want; that is the final message.»
«Seremi’s Decision Contradicts Minister Rincón’s Plan»
Another rather unusual aspect highlighted by the fishermen of Bahia Narau is that this ruling from the Seremi of Housing «undermines Minister Ximena Rincón’s Bahia 2040 Plan, which also aims to place warehouses in rural and dune areas, and with this precedent, that would not be feasible.»
Despite this, the Federation announced, «we will not give up on our project. We will continue to use all available administrative and legal avenues to defend this initiative and demand that our rights are respected.»
«For months, we have defended our rights and sought solutions. While other fishing unions received financial resources, our organization chose to advocate for an investment aimed at mitigating the impacts that the arrival of the desalination plant might bring to the bay, because we understand that these impacts must be addressed and mitigated in accordance with current legislation,» they emphasized.
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