We signed a collaboration agreement to initiate marine surveys in Caleta Zenteno

In a ceremony headed the Seremi of Public Works, Alfredo Campbell Aguilar, the Sustainability Manager of Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP), Patrick Mc Nab and the Director of Port Works, Luis Verdugo Cerón, among other local authorities, the agreement was signed to begin the maritime drilling works, which will later allow the MOP Atacama to design and execute the port infrastructure for Caleta Zenteno in the municipality of Caldera.

In the activity the MOP seremi, Alfredo Campbell indicated that “is an initiative that is within the 25 projects contained in this agreement, estimating an investment of approximately $405 million pesos that can be updated, once its execution and the design of its infrastructure is postulated. It is in this instance where the collaborative work with CMP arises, who will provide the funds to carry out the soil mechanics, directly hiring the company Geo Consultores for the execution of these works”.

“The public-private collaboration agreements are ofdirect benefit to the community, as we can work together to carry out major projects, as in this case, where this agreement will allow us to move forward more quickly in this initiative, since with the execution of the marine surveys, we can advance the engineering design and subsequent implementation of the project that will be in charge of our Port Works Department, which also favors the productive diversification of the cove, boosting tourism, generating new jobs, contributing to the economic reactivation of the commune and above all, benefiting the fishermen who work daily, since they will be able to safely embark and disembark their products and fishing implements”, the authority added.

The work of the Port Works Department of the MOP has been going on for some time now, with the materialization of the topo-bathymetric survey, which has made it possible to generate the zoning of the use of the cove, and the beginning of the procedures to carry out, together with CMP, the partial transfer of the current maritime concession.

CMP’s Sustainability Manager, John Patrick McNab, pointed out that “we have just signed a commitment to provide the necessary funds for the execution of underwater surveys, which are essential to determine the quality of the soil and thus know under what conditions the pier required the fishermen can be built. Support for this project is part of a series of CMP plans and programs to support the development of artisanal fishing and other sectors. The joint work with the Caleta Zenteno cooperative has been carried out for more than a decade, confirming that fishing and industrial activity can develop hand in hand when working with will, respect and always seeking shared growth”.

The director of Port Works (DOP) of the MOP, Luis Verdugo, explained, “once the results of the soil mechanics CMP have been obtained, we are committed to have by the middle of next year, the final design of the pier, and once the engineering design is completed, it will be submitted to the Ministry of Social Development and Family, for its favorable recommendation (RS), oriented for the year 2023, to be executing the work in the sector”.

Regarding the future Port Infrastructure project for the cove, Verdugo said: “the works would consist of the implementation of enabling infrastructure for the development of fishing activities, such as the construction of a berth or pier to provide more and better safety conditions for fishing activities, benefiting the 18 fishermen (7 women and 11 men) who work daily in their 6 boats, as they will be able to embark their fishing implements, as well as disembark their products directly through the pier, and avoid stranding on the beach as they do today”.

For his part, the president of the Zenteno Cop. Ltda., Luis Peralta Trujillo, “for us it is of utmost importance the signing of this agreement, which will allow us the future construction of the berth, which is a dream we have always had, as it is currently very difficult to embark and disembark. We are grateful for the alliance that has been achieved between the DOP of the MOP and the CMP, since the realization of this project opens up a world of possibilities for us, such as developing tourism and enhancing the attractions we have, in addition to being able to better disembark the product we take out of the sea, and to have greater security for all of us”.