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2009/MRCWG/004

Agenda Item: 1

Economy Report – Chile

Purpose: Information

Submitted by: Chile

/ 22nd Marine Resource Conservation Working Group MeetingVancouver, Canada
1-3 June 2009

ECONOMY REPORT

PROGRESS OF CHILE IN FULFILLING THE COMMITMENTS ACQUIRED IN THE BALI PLAN OF ACTION

This document briefly describes the main actions taken by Chile in order to implement the recommendations contained in the Bali Plan of Action.

I Ensuring the sustainable management of the marine environment and its resources

1. Understanding oceans, seas and coasts

1.1  Action in Oceans Observation and data collection

Since 1988, Chile has a Coastal Environment Monitoring Program, carried out by Directemar. It consists of monitoring the 44 stations along the country twice a year. Basically, it measures the concentration levels ofpolluting agents present in water, organisms and sediments.All the data collected are analyzed in a databasewith the aim of generating an early alarm system that enablesa timely detection of negative or potentially dangerous environmental changes.

1.2  Understanding the value of the marine sector

Currently, different initiatives are being developed. One example is the proposal for a cetacean-observation regulation in the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, which is under revision; this would be the first advance in establishing a legal framework on this matter in Chile. During 2009, the regulation for the observation of marine mammals, birds and reptiles will be created. In the same context, during 2008 a Law was approved establishing that the Chilean jurisdictional waters are free of cetacean hunting.

2.  Managing the marine environment sustainability

2.1 Ecosystem-based Management

Chile recognizes that the integrated coastal area management allows the optimum resource allocation to activities or functions that compete among themselves; it helps reducing conflicts of interest and environmental effects. Some of those instruments are:

Authorized Areas for the Establishment of Aquaculture Activities (AAA), where the State allows the granting of aquaculture licenses, even though it does not exclude other activities. The procedure of declaring such areas includes local and institutional consultations in accordance with the law.

Benthic Resource Management and Exploitation Areas consist of granting exclusive rights to artisanal fishermen organizations, legally constituted, so they use and exploit benthic resources within previously established geographic areas located within the 5-mile nautical coastline reserved to fisheries, or in mainland waters.

Marine Parks are specific and limited areas aimed at preserving ecologic elements of interest for science, and protecting areas that may ensure the conservation and diversity of hydrobiological species and their habitat. On the other hand, Marine Reserves are areas for protecting hydrobiological resources and processes like reproduction, recruitment, and re-stocking by management. It is important to note that no new parks or reserves have been decreed since 2005.

Besides the integrated coastal management, Chile has an Environmental Impact Assessment System, a mandatory framework for different activities, with a science-based analysis system to prevent, mitigate, compensate or restore environments.

2.2 Marine Pollution

In order to implement the BPA, an important amendment to the Environmental Regulation for Aquaculture was approved by the National Fisheries Council in 2008. Among other changes, the acceptable levels of the environmental parameters were modified, in order to make them stricter. Currently, if environmental parameters at the aquaculture facilities result anaerobic during the periodic monitoring, the farming site cannot continue operating until recovering aerobic conditions.

On the other hand, considering the current sanitary crisis caused by the outbreak of the high-risk disease infectious salmon anemia, the sanitary regulation has been amended and a sanitary program for surveillance and control of ISA was created. The approach of the sanitary regulation has now an integrated view of the environment where aquaculture is carried out, and implements a new figure to develop aquaculture called “aquaculture bay management areas”.

2.3 Marine Invasive Species

In 2006, the Invasive Species Regulation was approved, and it came into force in December 2008. This regulation is focused on inspecting activities and measures aimed at preventing, controlling and eradicating organisms that constitute, or may constitute, marine pests. The provisions contained in the regulation apply to the transference of hydrobiological species, equipment transportation, farming and research centers on hydrobiological species, and transformation and processing activities. Currently, Chile has decreed an area of harmful algae blooms, caused by Alexandrium catenella, which implements different measures to avoid the spread of the pest to other areas of the country.

With respect to genetically modified species, the General Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture was amended in 2006, in order to prohibit or regulate the import or farming of genetically-modified hydrobiological species. Currently, a regulation proposal is being developed.

2.4 Coral Reefs and Other Vulnerable Areas

According to the current regulation, aquaculture licenses cannot be granted in areas where natural banks exist. In that sense, Chile is improving the natural-bank assessing methodology, which would help protecting natural resources populations against the environmental impacts generated by aquaculture activities.

II. Enabling Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities

1.  Enabling Integrated Management

In late December of 2008, the proposal for the Statute of Small Scale Aquaculture (SSA) was sent to the Minister of Economy; after his approval it will be send to the National Congress to amend the General Law of Fisheries and Aquaculture. That would incorporate other agents such as artisanal fishermen, women, and coastal communities, facilitating the access to this activity, designing requirements according to their productive characteristics, and promoting partnership.

The proposal considers mechanisms to facilitate and ensure access to small-scale farmers, for example, access to preferential areas, user-friendly procedures, flexibility in expiration causes and operation requirements, financial support for centers operation, among others.

Another instrument of participation is the National Aquaculture Commission, attached to the National Aquaculture Policy, decreed in 2003. It is composed of public and private institutions involved in the development of the activity, as well as producers and artisanal fishermen associations.

2.  Hazard Mitigation and Post-Natural Disaster Rehabilitation and Planning

Since 1966, the Chilean Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA), through the Earthquake Alarm National System (SNAM), officially represents Chile in front of the Pacific International Tsunami Warning System. These organisms permanently interact through a series of technologies that monitor indicative factors of a potential tsunami.

Once confirmed an imminent tsunami, SHOA informs the civil organisms in charge of warning people and the military forces with settlement in ports and coves of the coast about the earthquake parameters and estimated time of arrival. It also shares with the Pacific International Tsunami Warning System all the information related to earthquakes that could originate in the Chilean coast and affect other countries of this oceanic area. For further information, please visit the SHOA website: www.shoa.cl.

Chile

June 2009

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