Investment in the fishing sector will be $ 17 million

Ecuadornews:

Katuska Drouet announced a series of actions that will be implemented during the course of the year. Sge criticized the Fenacopec asking for his exit from the Ministry.

The day after the manifestation of artisanal fishermen in Progreso-Guayas, due to the crisis that afflicts the sector, the Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAP), Katuska Drouet, informed that the Government will invest more than $ 17 million. The resources will be distributed in different activities, said the official on Tuesday, August 21 at a press conference.

One of the most important projects is to provide the sector with a security system with panic buttons that will send alerts to the ECU-911, in order to coordinate assistance with the Navy. Until December, more than 7,000 devices are planned to be installed.

The devices are delivered free of charge and directly to fishermen, for which they must fill out the corresponding forms at the offices of the Ministry, where the data will be recorded and, in addition, they will receive a card.

Another incentive is insurance for boats and engines in case of loss or theft. Safety material, suit, life jacket and flashlights will also be distributed. Regarding the fight against crime, Drouet indicated that it is the responsibility of the Ministries of Justice and Interior, entities with which she maintains permanent coordination.

In all coastal provinces, fisheries attention centers will be implemented that will provide direct assistance. Drouet stressed the importance of providing tools and training to fishermen. In the financing part, actions are executed with BanEcuador and the Corporación Financiera Nacional (CFN), with the purpose of increasing the delivery of credits.

On the scrap, said that the Government will acquire more than 3,600 engines between this and next year.

Respect the eight nautical miles for the craftsmen

In the manifestation of the 20 of August the fishermen denounced the invasion of the eight nautical miles of part of boats chinchorreros, bolicheros and other industrialists. In this regard, the official said that a monitoring center controls all vessels larger than 20 GRT (Gross Register Tonnage), through a satellite tracking system.

“If a vessel passes the eight miles, the Ministry issues the administrative files, in addition operations are carried out to prevent other fisheries from entering the exclusive zone of the artisanal fishing sector.”

Federation demands its resignation

The Federation of Artisanal Fisheries Cooperatives of Ecuador (Fenacopec), among its demands, demands that Drouet be removed from her position. Before this the official responded: “the doors of the Ministry are open for all fishermen”, but will not be allowed abuses of a bad leadership that for years has abused the fisherman.

“They are more than 15 years of bad leadership, where the fishermen did not perceive benefits. If there had been a good leadership, the artisanal fishing sector would have developed, grown and improved their quality of life, “said Drouet.

She accused that the previous government gave all the benefits through a single organization and injured fishermen, who demanded before the authorities that “nothing came to them at all and that the only beneficiaries were that bad leadership”.

 According to the official, 500 hectares of shrimp farms reached a few people or gas stations run by a federation. “Why do not all associations handle them?” she questioned. These and other irregularities will be brought to the attention of the Office of the Prosecutor and Comptroller.

The Ministry of Aquaculture will request that the accounts of Fenacopec be investigated based on the reports of the fishermen. Gabriela Cruz, president of Fenacopec, said that on Wednesday, August 22, they will hold a meeting with the governor of Guayas, José Francisco Cevallos, after which they will take legal action in response to the statements of the Minister. “We want him to show us everything he has said,” Cruz replied. They will also prepare measures against boats chinchorreros. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/inversion-sector-pesquero-ecuador