Chile – ‘Sea’ Rebellion: The Combative Protests of Artisanal Fishermen

We share an unofficial translation of the article that can be found in the 98th edition of the newspaper El Pueblo.

At the end of March, we witnessed shocking demonstrations by artisanal fishermen from ports and coves in the central and south-central regions of the country. During days of intense struggle, the protests gave us striking examples of heroism, bravery, and courage in defending the rights of sea workers against the voracity of large fishing companies.

Three armored vehicles of the riot police were completely burned on the Ruta 5 highway, at the height of San Javier – Maule region. Masses of enraged artisanal fishermen celebrated and shouted “¡Aquí somos bravos!” (Here we are brave!), and faced the police repression forces without fear.

Other groups of fishermen, in their boats, confronted large-tonnage vessels, preventing them from leaving ports such as Valparaíso and San Antonio, and navigating the repression of the marine’s tactical boats.

Others marched decisively to the outskirts of the National Congress to make their demands heard.

What was the objective of these coordinated and heated protests? The promulgation of a series of modifications to the infamous Fishing Law – known as the Longueira Law – where the interests and fishing quotas of the artisanal sector prevail over the industrial sector, specifically regarding the extraction of squid, hake, and jack mackerel.

This is in the midst of the “New General Fishing Law” promoted by the opportunistic Boric government, whose fragmentation, i.e., the fishing quotas for each sector, continue to benefit multimillionaire fishing consortia at the expense of the majority of artisanal fishermen, who are, ultimately, the ones who put food on our tables.

As this is an electoral year, different parliamentarians seek to gain votes, some appealing to the artisanal sector, for the possible votes they could get, and others to the large industrial fishing sector, for financing their campaigns in exchange for imposing their interests, as has been demonstrated several times in Chilean legislation.

And it is that large protests and combativeness are required to even defend minimum rights for the working people. And at a great cost, of 15 companion fishermen processed and in preventive prison for these acts of protest, and the death of seven fishermen from the Bruma boat, which was hit by a fishing vessel in the context of the protests, in a fact that is being investigated as accidental, but in which intentionality cannot be ruled out due to the acute conflict.

In parliament, it is the large fishing companies who handle the situation. Just look at the votes of the Senate’s Maritime Interests, Fishing, and Aquaculture Commission, held in January of this year, where the distribution of the hake quota was modified again, to the detriment of the artisanal sector, which saw its fraction reduced from 70% to 43%, while the industrial sector increased its percentage to 57%. A similar situation occurred with squid and jack mackerel, resources that also suffered reductions in their percentages for extraction by the artisanal sector.

Four of the main industrial fishing companies present in Chile —Camanchaca, Landes, FoodCorp, and Blumar— like true thugs, declared through their managers that they are evaluating the possibility of taking legal action against the State.

These companies, which are listed on the stock exchange, often financed by foreign capital and supplying the markets of imperialist countries such as the US, Norway, Europe, China, and others, are the ones that concentrate the fishing business in Chile. When they see even a tiny possibility that their interests might be affected, they pull their strings of influence among parliamentarians and other electoral politicians, financing campaigns and paying various personalities to continue maintaining their control over the fishing resources. It’s worth recalling how the previous Fishing Law (Ley Longueira) was promulgated, in which the use of undue influence during the processing of the law was demonstrated, along with the existence of acts of corruption, tax fraud, and bribery, all condemned by justice, and yet they continue with the same practices and protection of their interests.