[ Source: BBC News ]
A protest demanding better fishing quotas for artisan fishermen in Chile descended into clashes with the police on Tuesday (March 25) as the Senate is discussing a bill that is key for the sector.
Unionised artisan fishers marched in Valparaiso to the Congress urging the Senate to consider their demands while passing a bill on fishing quotas distribution.
The discussion was followed on giant screens from the street, Chilean media reported. At the end of the session, protesters faced off with the riot police guarding the Congress, which used water cannons and tear gas canisters to clar the crowd.
Small-scale fishermen have been protesting the Senate saying the original bill approved by the Chamber of Deputies better addressed their quota needs.
The bill aims at re-distributing fishing quotas, which define the legal catch limits for both industrial and artisan fisheries in various regions.
The Senate will continue the discussion on Wednesday (March 26) with hearings from artisan and industrial fishering representatives, as stated in an official release.
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