13 artisanal fishermen will work in the facilities, which were loaned on loan. The work will boost the local economy and improve the quality of life of the locals, said the president, Luis Lacalle Pou, adding that the initiative promotes the labor independence of these workers. He also highlighted the importance of caring for resources. “We have to think about fishing more and conserving much better.”
The president was accompanied at the inauguration by the undersecretary of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Juan Ignacio Buffa; the general coordinator of Decentralization and Cohesion of the Planning and Budget Office, María de Lima; the president of the National Institute of Cooperativism (Inacoop), Martín Fernández, and the mayor of Soriano, Guillermo Besozzi. Artisanal fishermen and residents of the town also attended.
The plant’s cold chamber will strengthen this activity, which employs more than 30 families in Villa Soriano. The work includes the storage chamber and related facilities. On the occasion, equipment was also delivered, such as countertops, a pressure washer, a generator, deposits for waste management, a freezer and a flake ice machine. The undertaking required an investment of almost 3,400,000 pesos, which was financed by the Interior Development Fund (FDI).
The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, pointed out that the work will give fishermen more independence in their performance. Having the cold room will allow them to regulate and manage the offer and will prevent them from having to sell immediately to avoid losses. “It is not about arriving, opening the fish, removing the skin and scales and selling it because it is spoiling. Now you can put up with the intermediary a little longer. This is freedom,” he opined.
He also spoke of the importance of caring for natural resources so that economic activity is sustainable and that everyone can benefit from it. Although it is important to increase production, the activity must be developed seeking the conservation of the species. “You know better, you are second or third generation of fishermen. They know that, when there is, there is something for everyone, and things are going better”, he expressed.
De Lima, meanwhile, highlighted the work that the national government is carrying out together with the departmental ones to promote productive development projects in the territory. In the same sense, Buffa and Fernández highlighted the capacity of the institutions to listen to the demands of the neighbors, articulate and reach the territory. “This is the government of proximity. It does not imply holding a meeting from time to time in the department, it implies becoming one with the reality of the place and transforming it to give citizens a better quality of life,” Fernández said.
Villa Soriano Fishermen Strengthening Project
The work is part of the productive development project Strengthening Artisanal Fishermen of Villa Soriano, executed by the local government and financed through the FDI.
This project goes beyond the infrastructure work. Training is offered to fishermen and technical assistance in management, administration and marketing. Efforts are also being made to incorporate the family through training to produce fish-based products destined for stores and tourists.
