Chile's Biobío Region Sees Sharp Decline in Jack Mackerel Catch, 80% of Fleet Halted

en.Wedoany.com Reported - In February this year, vessels from fishing companies in the Biobío Region first raised the alarm due to the scarcity of fish in traditional jack mackerel fishing grounds and a higher-than-usual proportion of undersized individuals. This phenomenon improved temporarily, "but the reality is that so far our catch volume is only half of normal levels. Despite efforts in sailing and searching, the situation has not improved," explained Macarena Cepeda Godoy, President of the Biobío Industrial Fishermen's Association.

The industry estimates that the available oceanographic and climatic information is very complex, because despite entering the cold season (autumn and winter), the seawater has shown anomalies, manifested as rising water temperatures, which are unsuitable or "unfavorable" for jack mackerel, a species that prefers lower water temperatures. "Simply put, we can't find them. The crews are experienced and have sailed for hundreds of hours and thousands of nautical miles, but the fish schools are not there. We did find some schools, but they were small-sized (juveniles), or there was severe mixing of adults and juveniles, so we activated good practice protocols, left the fishing grounds, and even halted the fleet," the industry executive stated.

Currently, 80% of the industrial fleet, consisting of 38 vessels, is docked in ports due to the aforementioned situation. However, companies Camanchaca, Blumar, Landes, and FoodCorp, along with non-member company Orizon, deployed a task force of 8 vessels last Friday, designing some "track lines" based on available scientific information to continue searching for this resource and supply raw materials to processing plants.

The President of the Biobío Industrial Fishermen's Association reported that to date, the industry's catch has reached 28% of the quota, compared to a normal level of around 60%. "This reduction is very significant, and companies are under pressure from raw material shortages. We hope this environmental situation will change, and we trust that the crew's efforts and scientific guidance will yield results, allowing us to start fishing." Nevertheless, the industry representative indicated that economic and social impacts will soon be felt in the region.

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