By: Constanza Carrillo
(Read news in BioBio)
The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) detected a lack of control by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) over 170 salmon farming centers.
The above was done in the framework of a review of the Information System for Aquaculture Control. In addition, the non-application of the grounds for expiration of concessions established in the law was detected.
The report, which covered the period January 2020 and April 2023, also established that Sernapesca did not report these situations to the Undersecretariat for the Armed Forces in order to declare the expiration of the concession.
The above, according to the comptroller, reveals a lack of coordination between both entities for the correct and timely taking of actions.
Other findings
Another of the findings determined that the Undersecretariat for the Armed Forces maintains pending -since 2016- 79 processes linked to cultivation centers, reported by Sernapesca, which would eventually also incur in a cause of expiration for non-operation.
In addition, in another 36 centers, it was detected that the expiration procedures due to non-compliance with legal requirements exceeded the maximum period of 6 months for the processing of administrative processes.
On the other hand, it was determined that the latter service -as of October 31, 2023- had not addressed the Terram Foundation's complaint, referred in June 2022 by the Undersecretariat.
In this action, an evaluation of the centers was requested in view of a possible cause of cancellation due to the non-operation of 646 salmonid farming centers in Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica.
In fact, according to the Comptroller's Office, it was determined that the requirement was reiterated by the Undersecretariat in November 2023, without Sernapesca having taken any action.
Finally, the CGR ordered both services -Sernapesca and the Undersecretariat for the Armed Forces- to initiate disciplinary proceedings to determine possible administrative responsibilities.