Truly protected protected areas – El Mostrador

Mr. Director,
In 1926 the Vicente Perez Rosales Park was created, the first protected area in Chile, which was established in order to protect its natural attributes, promote tourism and prevent the installation of any activity that could affect it.  Over time other parks were created, however, some of these have not been able to stop the expansion of intensive industry within their limits and that is because there is a lack of clear rules in this regard.  
Many of these rules will be defined in the discussion that will take place in the House on Tuesday, January 17 within the framework of the bill that creates the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service. In this matter, the discussion falls on what activities we want to allow within them through the delivery of concessions, and how clear are the rules that we will establish. 
The Chamber will have to decide between what is raised by the Committee on the Environment and the Committee on Agriculture. The first established that, within protected areas, only concessions for scientific research, education or tourism activities may be granted. In Agriculture, it was approved to allow the granting of sectoral concessions, provided that they are compatible with the objective of the category, the object of protection, the management plan of the protected area and a favorable report from the Service.
We believe that this second alternative is incorrect as a legislative technique, since it will only cause uncertainty and judicialization, by not clearly establishing which activities will actually be prohibited. In turn, it could open the door to the granting of concessions for the development of mining projects, salmon farming or megaports within protected areas, an issue that is not compatible with real protection.
The Chamber has the opportunity to amend this, and ensure that Chile’s international commitments to protect its protected areas are put into effect. 
 
Javiera Calisto
Legal Director of Oceana Chile
 
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Original source in Spanish