The Sea of Chile: Time to Act

La Tercera, October 2, 2019

Dear Director:

In March 2018, in this same publication, I indicated the need to implement Chile’s national ocean policy, which was published on March 8 as one of the last actions of Bachelet’s second government. The published policy is very comprehensive and was accompanied by a series of prior decisions from that administration that resulted in 43% of our exclusive economic zone being designated as protected marine areas, with the necessary resources for its oversight still pending.

To date, there has not been much progress in implementing the sectoral programs outlined in the ocean policy, which does not mean that the issue is not on the political agenda due to the focus of COP25 on ocean sustainability and its implications. However, we must move from discourse to action, which involves, among other things, providing Directemar with the investment and operational budget it requires to carry out its tasks in maritime security and the protection of our marine resources, advancing with the “Chile Maritime Power” initiative agreed upon at Enade 2018, developing cruise ship infrastructure, enhancing Punta Arenas as a gateway to Antarctica, and many other initiatives that would be a real demonstration of our commitment to the Sea of Chile and what would be expected of a maritime power in the South Pacific, and of a country with a vital dependence on the sea for its development.

Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis
Vice President, AthenaLab

La Tercera