Food crisis as fishermen block access to island in Chile

CHILOE ISLAND, Chile – Food and gas are running dangerously low in this Chilean archipelago that has been blocked from the mainland by desperate fishermen who have lost their livelihood to toxic algae bloom.

Fishermen have lit up flaming barricades for days restricting access to the island that is best known for its stilt houses and historic churches.

The government has offered about $200 each to some 5,000 local fishermen as compensation. But they say that’s not enough to even cover the basic needs of their families. The food scarcity has forced some residents to gather at common pots in order to feed their families. About 90 schools in the area have also cancelled classes.

President Michelle Bachelet on Friday asked the fishermen to lift the blockade so supplies can be sent to Chiloe and to keep talking with her government to resolve the dispute. Bachelet has also ordered the deployment of anti-riot officers by boat and plane to the island.

The government has declared an emergency zone along Chile’s south as it deals with the harmful algae known as red tide. It kills fish and other marine life by releasing a toxin that paralyzes the central nervous system. Some local residents have blamed salmon-farm owners for the red tide that has affected seven major cities and dozens of fishing towns. But experts say it’s linked to high temperatures stemming from the El Nino weather pattern. Experts say the red tide could linger for at least two more months.

Chile is among the world’s top suppliers of salmon and fishing is the backbone of the economy for many communities along the country’s long coast. Millions of salmon were killed earlier this year by the blooming of algae that asphyxiates fish by decreasing oxygen in the water. More than 500 tons of sardines also recently washed ashore on Chilean beaches.

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Associated Press writers Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile and Luis Andres Henao in Buenos Aires, Argentina contributed to this report.