Some fishermen are supposed to be aware of how much fish they can catch, but for the fishermen of Chile and their government there seems to be a disagreement about how much fish they should be catching.

The fishermen in port of Valparaíso are at odds with the Chilean government, and they are protesting to get their voices heard. But it was the fishermen's message and the alleged actions by the police that occurred on Wednesday that have escalated into violence.

Press TV reported that on Wednesday, the protest was the result of the Chilean government's allegedly forced new law known as the Fisheries Act, which puts a cap on how much fish the Chilean fishermen are allowed to catch annually. Fishing is their main form of income in the city, but with the new law it will reduce their haul by six times as much; the fishermen catch 20,000 tons yearly, but it will now be at 3,000 tons per year.

The government's control of fishing and the quota prescribed to these austere fishermen was perhaps the thesis of the protest. Tensions rose on Wednesday when the Chilean police fought with the fishermen after they had marched onto Congress, Anchorage Daily News reported. Besides the quota that they were protesting, they also wanted an increase in the amount of cuttlefish they were allowed to bring in.

The demonstration grew out of control. The police reportedly fired tear gas at the fishermen protesters, in an attempt to break up the crowd that was reportedly obstructing the highway that lead into the port city of Lebu, Press TV reported. The protesters allegedly reacted by throwing stones at not only the police, but also at the offices of local government officials.

One local radio station in Chile, Radio Bio Bio, reported that two police officers were injured, while other reports suggested that at least five police officers were injured, and dozens were arrested.

The local Valparaíso's provincial governor stated that the protest was not authorized by officials, Anchorage Daily News reported.

With Chile's more than 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) of coast, fishing is one of its top industries.