Sustainable financing of fisheries observers: The case of Chubut, in the argentinean patagonia

CAILLE GUILLERMO MARTÍN; GÓNGORA MARÍA EVA ; SOUTRIC MATÍAS; BOVCON NELSON DARIO; COCHIA PABLO DANIEL; MENDIA LUIS FERNANDO; ARIAS CESAR

Viña del Mar

Workshop; 7th International Fisheries Observer and Monitoring Conference; 2013

Instituto de Fomento Pesquero

In the framework of the agreement between the Government of the province of Chubut and the National University of the Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB), approved by Act VII No. 12 (formerly Law No. 2447) in 1984; and through successive " Work Agreements ", signed between provincial Fisheries Secretary and the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the UNPSJB, since the year 2000, technical assistance to the "Program of Observers to Board? of the Chubut province" (POBCh) is being provided. Funding is provided entirely by the provincial government from its participation in the National Fund of Fishing (FONAPE, created by law in 1988), and has allowed providing operational and technical continuity to the activities of the POBCh for more than ten years. Objectives ranged from the creation of a "provincial fishery observer program", to be implemented within the framework of the national law No. 24.922 (Federal Fisheries law) enacted in 1998, which granted jurisdiction and domain on fishery resources to provinces with coastline in inland waters and the Argentine Territorial Sea adjacent to its coasts, up to 12 nm measured from baselines given by the law No. 23.968 (1991training and ongoing training of observers, work on board of the main fleets operating on provincial jurisdiction up to the oversight of the technical quality of their performance. The observers of the POBCh takes direct information on fishing operations and gears; on catches and environmental characteristics; on targets species and on selected biological aspects (species composition, bycatch of marine fauna and discards). Samples are also taken and observers collaborate with academic and scientific organizations. In the framework of funded agreements more than 200 observers have been trained, about 40 (20% retention) are currently active, and have been incorporated into the stable staff of the POBCh, ensuring resources to cover near to 10% of the activity of the main fleets in the provincial fisheries.The POBCh conceives fishing from an ecosystem approach which includes the fishermen and allowed to contribute to the knowledge of the region's coastal-marine biodiversity. With more than ten years of work, the POBCh is a provincial program consolidated in its funding; however, there is a need to be re-valued by the fishing sector, to analyze the viability of their contributions, and improve the technical quality of their performance in particular subjects, to ensure an effective contribution to the management objectives of provincial fisheries enforcement authorities.