Trawling revives the struggle between fishermen and environmental groups

When it was thought that s the new Law on Fisheries They intended to work in harmony between the parties related to the seas and oceans, a new disagreement between fishermen and environmentalists.

The problem is trawling, which led to The government will amend the provisions of the lawwhich was not consulted with the fishermen, according to what they reported.

They seemed surprised, since they assure it There was a consensus about this type of fishing when the regulation was discussed.

On behalf of Mar Viva, which leads a group of environmental organizations, they reported that currently There is no pressure in Panama to end shrimp trawling legally recognized for 40 years, despite being considered “highly destructive”.

However, They oppose its spread to fish speciessuch as spotted grebe, fathead minnow, tern and raven, as provided for in the original regulations.

“This one We expressed this in September last year, together with more than a dozen environmental organizations, associations of small fishermen and representatives of the tourism sector. when Resolution no. ADM/ARAP 063 dated Friday, September 8, 2023 for finfish trawl research trips during the ban season,” the foundation replied to us.

And fishermen they reacted upset to the withdrawal of cojinúa from this modalitysince it is a widely consumed fish and a considerable number of families depend on its fishing.’

Environmental protection organizations in various parts of the world consider trawl fishing harmful because large trawl nets are used that pull everything in their path to the seabed, harming species and flora and affecting marine ecosystems.

On March 18, 2021, after extensive consultations, Law 204 was enacted to regulate fishing and aquaculture in Panama, repealing five laws and decrees that previously dealt with the activity.

The fishermen’s position is that the regulation further restricts trawling on a large scale, since it has been practiced indiscriminately in the country so far.

In this regard, MarViva claims that Executive Order 132 of October 2021 abolished seine nets for the cojinu fishery, “after it considered that negatively affected the recovery of some speciesamong them shrimps, which are intensively exploited with no indication of their recovery.

Striker

With several decades of practice in the country, the fishermen have clarified it Trawling in Panamanian waters is not on a large scaleas carried out by ships known as factory in other seas.

Ernesto Vargas, of the National Federation of Artisanal Fishermen, confirms that if they have been affecting the environment all this time, If anything, it’s 0.1%.

“We have more than 55% of protected areas; Where will they let us work?” asked the fisherman.

On this issue, Gustavo Zúñiga, from the National Chamber of Fisheries, illustrated that They work close to shore in muddy areas, away from reefs and corals.

“Our impact on the environment is positive, because we are the ‘garbage truck’ of the state”He said.

To explain his comment, Zúñiga illustrated it All the garbage that rivers and tributaries carry, they move itthey collect and throw somewhere where they do not harm the environment.