AUNAP extends permits and suspends fees for fishermen affected by the earthquake

The National Authority of Aquaculture and Fisheries (AUNAP) automatically extended permits and suspended the collection of fees for fishers and aquaculturists affected by the earthquake of August 10, 2026. This was done through Resolution number 1870 of 2026, signed on September 11 by the general director Juan Rodrigo Alvarado Moreno and published in the Official Gazette, edition 53,628, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. These measures are in effect during the State of Economic, Social, and Ecological Emergency and for one additional month following its conclusion.

The origin of the decision is the 7.4 Mw magnitude earthquake recorded on August 10, 2026, at 7:34 (local time), with its epicenter in San José del Palmar (Chocó) and a depth of 103.4 kilometers, according to the bulletin from the Colombian Geological Service (SGC) dated August 19, 2026. Decree number 1261 of August 19, 2026, declared an emergency due to grave public calamity for thirty calendar days, and Decree number 1348 of 2026 adjusted the territorial scope: adding Caquetá and Santander and excluding Putumayo. Situational Report number 36 from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported direct impact in 15 departments and 471 municipalities.

Automatic Extension and Procedural Relief

Article 3 stipulates that current permits and authorizations whose holders meet the application criteria and expire during the emergency—or up to one month after its end—will be automatically extended without additional procedures. Once this period expires, the holder must proceed with the ordinary renewal before AUNAP in accordance with Resolution number 1485 of 2022.

Article 4 extends the deadlines to respond to requests, provide documents, or rectify administrative actions for the duration of the emergency and one additional month. Article 6 provides flexibility for ocular inspection visits: these may be carried out if access and security conditions permit; when not possible, the visit will be understood as temporarily suspended and the permit will be granted, without prejudice to a subsequent visit.

The covered procedures are:

• Artisanal commercial fishing and ornamental commercial fishing.
• Processing and commercialization.
• Subsistence farming (small, medium, and large aquaculturists).
• Research permits in fishing or aquaculture.

Suspension of Fee Payments

During the term of the emergency, the prior payment of fees under Resolution number 1736 of 2022 for the issuance, renewal, or modification of permits, authorizations, and technical visits shall not be required. The suspension does not cover debts incurred and due before August 10, 2026, and the deferred payment must be made effective within the month following the lifting of the emergency, without this extinguishing, novating, or condoning the obligation. If the holder does not pay within that period, AUNAP will automatically suspend the validity of the permit until full payment is credited.

Coverage: 77,393 valid cards

As of September 1, 2026, the entity recorded 77,393 valid cards and permits in the departments declared in emergency: 72,959 artisanal fishers and 4,434 aquaculturists. The highest volumes by department are:

• Bolívar: 26,167 (25,344 fishers and 823 aquaculturists).
• Antioquia: 9,192.
• Sucre: 8,948.
• Nariño: 7,243.
• Santander: 6,873.
• Chocó: 4,805.
• Valle del Cauca: 4,503.

Registration of victims and verification

Article 7 orders the enabling, within a period not exceeding eight calendar days from publication, of a self-registration application on the AUNAP institutional website so that fishers, aquaculturists, and permit holders can report damages, whether or not they are formalized. Those without internet access may do so in person at the entity’s regional directorates and satellite offices, and at departmental or municipal Agriculture secretariats.

To access the benefits, the interested party must provide certification of registration and validation in the Single Registry of Affected Persons and Victims (RUDA) or the official census of the affected municipality. Article 8 provides for cross-verification between the field census, the application, UNGRD reports, and institutional databases to avoid duplication and individualize the beneficiaries.

The relevance of the measure is direct: artisanal fishing and aquaculture are the livelihood of tens of thousands of rural and coastal families in the areas hit by the earthquake, and the flexibility seeks to avoid productive paralysis, sustain food supply, and allow the economic reactivation of the sector without procedures becoming an additional barrier after the disaster.

Source: Official Gazette, edition 53,628 of September 16, 2026, p. 19 (official reference: Resolution number 1870 of 2026).