Photo: Stockfile/FIS

Chilean Artisanal Fishers Urge Coordination with Peru and Ecuador to Oversee Chinese Fleet in the South Pacific

CHILE
Thursday, November 06, 2025, 06:30 (GMT + 9)

The presence of foreign vessels, which increased from 8 to 117 in one year, raises alarm in the sector due to the risk to the jumbo squid fishery.

The presence of Chinese vessels off the coast of Chile has increased considerably in 2025. While only 8 were recorded in 2024, there have already been 117 so far this year. This fact has raised alarms among the artisanal sector, which views the presence of the Chinese fleet, especially the squid jigging boats, with concern, according to El Reportero.

There is fear that this situation will affect the artisanal jumbo squid (jibia) fishery, just as it impacted Peru in the past.

International Meeting and Call for a Common Stance

The need to strengthen fishery inspection and surveillance mechanisms was the central topic of the international meeting “Advances and challenges of inspection and surveillance in Peru and Chile,” held on October 23. The event was organized by the Graduate School of the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), the Committee for the Sustainable Management of the South Pacific Giant Squid (CALAMASUR), and the Innovations for Ocean Action Foundation (I4OA).

Alfonso Miranda, president of CALAMASUR, called on the governments of Chile, Ecuador, and Peru to consolidate a common position to strengthen management measures for the giant squid (Dosidicus gigas), a key resource for the country's northern zone.

Similarly, Pascual Aguilera, national leader and Chile's delegate to CALAMASUR, stated that protecting the jumbo squid resource and ensuring equitable conditions against the operation of foreign fleets is an “urgent and strategic task for Chile,” as it represents a source of livelihood for thousands of artisanal fishers and supports a network of small and medium-sized processing and export companies.

SERNAPESCA Challenges: Real-Time Data Reception

From SERNAPESCA (National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service), the Legal Deputy Director, Felipe Ruiz, highlighted that Chile has 100% coverage in inspecting foreign vessels operating in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. However, he acknowledged persistent structural challenges, such as regulatory fragmentation and the lack of integration among satellite monitoring systems.

Ruiz emphasized that a key area for improvement is the need to receive the satellite signal (VMS) from foreign vessels in real-time, just as Peru requires of ships wishing to enter its ports.

“One of the difficulties we noticed regarding this phenomenon is that we are receiving the VMS data with a time lag of hours... One of the great possibilities for technological improvement we identified is the need for the information, similar to Peru, to be transmitted in real-time directly to the servers of SERNAPESCA and the Maritime Authority,” Ruiz pointed out.

Piero Rojas, legal advisor for I4OA, for his part, insisted that surveillance of foreign fleets must be understood not only as a control measure but also as an instrument of security and sustainability.

The event concluded with a call to consolidate an integrated regulatory architecture that allows the riparian countries of the South Pacific to respond effectively. Alfonso Miranda declared that “Fisheries inspection can no longer be reactive; it must be strategic, preventive, and articulated with local stakeholders.”

[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Print