|  ElCiudadano.cl |  Noticias

El Ciudadano

Original article: Fin a la Ley Longueira en la práctica: nuevo fraccionamiento entra en 2026 y artesanales piden garantías sociales

After over 13 years of political dispute and social mobilization, Chile’s artisanal fishing community celebrates a historic milestone: the publication of the new fishing quotas in tons, which has been approved by Congress and will take effect in 2026. This measure marks the conclusion of the controversial 2012 Fishing Law (known as the «Longueira Law») and opens a new chapter for thousands of fishermen and women across the country, who are now urging the government to advance social guarantees for the sector.

The National Alliance for the Defense of Artisanal Fishing reacted positively to the official announcement of the quotas, marking the end of a lengthy legislative process that concluded with overwhelming votes: 40 in favor in the Senate and 122 in the Chamber of Deputies. For the organization, this is not just an administrative change, but a structural shift in the national fishing policy.

“Many of us never abandoned this cause, a righteous action by artisanal fishers. Today, everyone is a general, but we were a group that always sought justice for all artisanal fishers, even for those who supported the Longueira Law,” stated Hernán Cortés, president of CONDEPP, referencing the long battle against the previous model.

This sentiment is echoed by Pascual Aguilera, president of Coranor and spokesperson for the Alliance, who emphasized the movement’s persistence.

“This has been a sustained struggle for over 13 years by artisanal fishers who never abandoned a just cause. Today many celebrate, but we were few who stood from the beginning seeking justice,” he told Diario U. de Chile.

According to official estimates, the transfer of resources from the industry will finance processing plants for SMEs and improve infrastructure in landing sites. «It will invigorate local economies and benefit tens of thousands of families,» affirmed the government’s communication. The law also introduces a special license fee for industries purchasing international quotas to safeguard fiscal revenues.

Key innovations include harsher penalties for illegal fishing and a prohibition on quota increases for companies with serious infringements, aiming to eliminate impunity for ecological damage. Additionally, legal certainties will be maintained for the industrial sector, which will keep its current participation coefficients.

Regional Impact and Food Sovereignty

One of the central themes of the new framework is the redistribution of quotas among regions, prioritizing those where artisanal fishing is the heart of the local economy. The Biobío region has emerged as one of the major beneficiaries after years of what leaders describe as «exclusion in the distribution.»

“For Biobío, this new framework is especially significant. We are talking about a region where artisanal fishing supports entire local economies and where there has been a longstanding sense of exclusion from resource distribution,” stated Hernán Cortés.

From a gender and food sovereignty perspective, national leader Sara Garrido emphasized that the change transcends mere numbers.

“This is not just a discussion of figures or tons. The new distribution opens the possibility for more fish to reach the tables of Chilean families and for women in artisanal fishing to have greater certainty in sustaining our jobs and our communities,” she said.

Certainty for Planning and the Future

With the publication of exact quotas, the artisanal sector can finally plan for the medium term. Hernán Machuca, also a representative of the Alliance, highlighted this aspect as key to overcoming the uncertainty that has prevailed over the last decade.

“Knowing the quotas in tons today allows us to start planning future work. For artisanal fishing, this is crucial because we are talking about productive planning, employment, and stability for thousands of families who depend directly on the sea,” he pointed out.

Pending Social Guarantees

While the atmosphere is one of celebration and recognition of collective effort, the National Alliance emphasizes that the new distribution is an important step, but not the end of the road. The implementation of the new distribution in 2026 is considered a turning point that must be accompanied by concrete advancements in the social agenda for the sector.

The organization warns that the spirit of the new fishing legislation—aimed at dismantling the irregularities of the Longueira Law—must also materialize in policies that ensure decent working conditions, social protection, productive support, and a leading role for artisanal fishing in the national food value chain.

La entrada End of the Longueira Law: New Fishing Quota System Set for 2026 as Artisanal Fishers Call for Social Guarantees se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.