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Original article: CONDEPP y Mesa Pelágica declaran “interlocutor no válido” al subsecretario de Pesca y llevan el diálogo al ministro de Economía

The Council for the Defense of Fishing Heritage (CONDEPP) and the organizations that form the Pelagic Table of Lo Rojas announced they have decided to declare the Undersecretary of Fisheries, Osvaldo Urrutia, an «invalid interlocutor» for dialogue with the artisanal sector. This resolution comes amid the ongoing active mobilization of pelagic fishermen from the Biobío Region.

The action is based on a total loss of confidence in the sector’s authority due to the failure to meet commitments made to artisanal fishing, a lack of responses to historical demands, and the conflicts of interest recently reported in the media. According to the organizations, these issues compromise the impartiality required of the head of the fishing institution.

Consequently, the artisanal organizations have agreed that, from this date forward, political dialogue for the sector will be exclusively with the Minister of Economy, under whose purview the Undersecretary of Fisheries operates.

This decision comes amidst growing discontent among artisanal fishermen, who claim that the main commitments assumed by the State remain without concrete progress. Notably, these include the non-registration of small vessel owners in fisheries agreed upon during the previous administration; the disregard for the agreement reached regarding the resolution on warehouse cubicization—a historical demand aimed at correcting distortions affecting hundreds of artisanal vessels; and the absence of a governmental proposal for the promised social platform for marine workers.

According to industry figures, artisanal pelagic fishing comprises over 8,000 active fishermen and generates approximately 18,000 direct and indirect jobs related to the capture, processing, transportation, and marketing of resources such as sardines and anchoveta.

Additionally, there is growing concern regarding the discussion of the Artisanal Extraction Regime (RAE) for the sardine and anchoveta fisheries. The organizations are denouncing a lack of transparency in the process and warn that the definitive criteria to be used for distributing catch quotas among artisanal fishermen are yet to be publicly disclosed.

For CONDEPP, the accumulation of unmet commitments and the absence of concrete responses have ultimately shattered the trust that existed with the Undersecretary of Fisheries.

«We have exhausted our patience. Undersecretary Osvaldo Urrutia has disregarded agreements reached with our sector, has been unable to provide solutions to long-standing issues, and maintains a leadership marked by opacity. Moreover, as reported by the media in recent days, there are conflicts of interest that cast legitimate doubts on his impartiality, making it impossible to continue considering him a valid interlocutor for artisanal fishing,» stated Hernán Cortés Bernal, president of CONDEPP.

Meanwhile, Rosendo Arroyo, vice president of CONDEPP, added that the organizations are not asking for special benefits but rather for the fulfillment of commitments previously made by the State itself.

«We are not asking for privileges. We are demanding that agreements be respected, that small vessel owners are included where they ought to be, that the cubicization of warehouses ceases to be an unfulfilled promise, and that there be a dignified social platform for artisanal fishery workers. These are reasonable demands that directly impact the lives of thousands of families who depend on the sea for their livelihood,» he affirmed.

CONDEPP stated that the lack of political will from this government to address these matters contrasts sharply with the speed historically seen in protecting the interests of large economic groups related to industrial fishing.

For this reason, the artisanal organizations will request a direct meeting with the Minister of Economy to address three priority issues: the registration of small vessel owners in the committed fisheries, the definitive implementation of the resolution on warehouse cubicization, and the presentation of a concrete proposal for a social platform for artisanal fishery workers.

«From today, our dialogue will be exclusively with the Minister of Economy. Artisanal fishing needs answers, not more promises. The Government must decide if it is willing to keep its word or continue turning its back on thousands of families who depend on work at sea,» concluded Hernán Cortés.

La entrada CONDEPP and Pelagic Table Declare Subsecretary of Fisheries an «Invalid Interlocutor» and Shift Dialogue to the Minister of Economy se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.