15 Apr SECOS Report Reviews Legislative Activity During the Boric Administration in Artisanal Fisheries, Shellfish Aquaculture, and Coastal Development

At the outset of a new legislative cycle, a new Legislative Report from the SECOS Millennium Institute presents an overview of the four legislative periods that accompanied the outgoing administration. It also identifies ongoing legislative work that will shape Congress’s agenda under President Kast in the coming years in these areas.

The Coastal Socio-Ecological Millennium Institute (SECOS), through its Public Policy Observatory, released its Legislative Report No. 5, focused on parliamentary activity relevant to the socio-ecological systems of artisanal fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal development.

During the most recent legislative year, which ended on March 10, a total of 17 bills related to the sector were introduced, 13 were voted on, and 5 laws were enacted. These were distributed across nine thematic categories, ranging from institutional frameworks and regulation to gender, sustainability, climate change, and scientific research.

Key milestones include the enactment of Law No. 21,752 on the new allocation framework between artisanal and industrial fisheries; Law No. 21,770 establishing the Framework for Sectoral Authorizations; Law No. 21,782 on the protection of surf breaks; and Law No. 21,789 creating the professional diver contract and related activities.

The report not only documents legislative activity over the past year, but also frames it as the closing point of a political cycle, reviewing legislative developments from legislative periods 370 to 373. This allows for an assessment of how the regulatory agenda on coastal issues evolved between 2022 and 2026.

According to Francisca Reyes, principal investigator at SECOS and editor of the report, “this exercise makes it possible to observe how legislative activity is largely linked to the Executive’s programmatic commitments, as well as to identify areas with greater progress—such as institutional frameworks, gender, and social development—and others where gaps persist between stated commitments and regulatory development, such as sustainability, climate change, and socioeconomic development.”

Assessment of Programmatic Commitments

The analysis, available on the SECOS website, also examines the extent to which observed legislative activity aligns with the sectoral commitments declared by the outgoing administration, whether in its 2022–2026 Government Program or in any of the four Presidential Public Addresses during the period.

A total of 43 commitments related to artisanal fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal development were identified. Of these, 19 have been addressed through the introduction of 28 bills, which are currently under active discussion.

These include major reforms such as the new fisheries allocation framework, amendments to the General Fisheries Law regarding benthic resources, and various initiatives aimed at strengthening sectoral institutions, including the bill proposing a new General Fisheries Law.

In other thematic areas, legislative progress has been more limited. In gender and social development, advances are mainly linked to initiatives promoting participation and gender equity in the management of fishing coves, the designation of management committees, and improvements in labor conditions in the fishing sector through the creation of the professional diving contract and related activities.

In the management of hydrobiological resources, bills have focused on increasing penalties for extraction using explosives and the commercialization of contaminated marine resources.

In contrast, in areas such as infrastructure, research and scientific development, socioeconomic development, and climate change, fewer commitments have been addressed legislatively, with only one commitment tackled in each of these areas.

Pending Challenges and the Legislative Agenda for the Kast Administration

The close of Legislative Period 373 left several key legislative debates unresolved in artisanal fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal development. These include the ongoing discussion of the new General Fisheries Law, the bill on seawater use for desalination, proposed reforms to the ECMPO Law, and the bill on technology and knowledge transfer.

At the same time, the change in administration opens a new phase focused on implementing reforms approved during President Boric’s term, which will now be carried forward by President Kast. These include the launch of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP), the implementation of the Framework Law on Sectoral Authorizations, the enforcement of the law establishing the professional diver contract and related activities, and the rollout of the new allocation system between artisanal and industrial fisheries.

These processes will shape a significant portion of the regulatory and coastal governance agenda during the 2026–2030 legislative period.