WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2025 31 revival of traditional dishes in the country, complementing its well-established role in the phycocolloid industries to produce alginates, carrageenans and agars (Ferdouse et al. 2018). Markets for such byproducts span Asia, Europe and North America. Consequently, aquaculture techniques for ten seaweed species have been developed to varying degrees, ranging from experimental (Lessonia spp.; Durvillaea spp.; Porphyra/ Pyropia spp.; Mazzaella laminarioides and Sarcothalia crispata) and pilot stages (Sarcopeltis skottsbergii) to full commercial production (Gracilaria chilensis, Macrocystis pyrifera and Chondracanthus chamisoii). Even though most of its seaweed production is obtained through the fishery, Chile is the leading producer of farmed seaweed in Latin America, with an annual yield of approximately 20,000 – 40,000 tonnes (Mendez et al. 2024). This production is largely driven by Gracilaria chilensis (commonly known as pelillo), which accounts for around 95% of the total output. Cultivation of G. chilensis began in the 1980s as a response to severe overexploitation of wild populations (Buschmann et al. 2001). Today, local fishers primarily cultivate this species for the agar industry using off-bottom and long-line farming techniques (Figure 7a-b). At its peak, G. chilensis farming reached up to 140,000 tonnes, but declining competitiveness — due to emerging market rivals and lower productivity — has significantly reduced the activity. Currently, commercial cultivation is largely confined to two estuaries in the Los Lagos region. The second most cultivated seaweed in Chile is the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera. Initially developed in the 2000s for abalone feed (Figure 7c-d) (Gutierrez et al. 2006, Westermeier et al. 2006), this species is now being explored for regenerative and restorative aquaculture due to its rapid growth, efficient uptake of inorganic nutrients, and minimal environmental impact. Increasingly, M. pyrifera has been integrated into Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries areas (TURFs, known as AMERBs in Chile) and salmon aquaculture concessions during inactive farming periods. Although cultivation has been recorded along almost the entire Chilean coast, it is most commonly reported in the Atacama and Los Lagos regions. Recently a third species, Chondracanthus chamissoi, has gained attention for its potential as a food source in Asian markets and its suitability for cultivation by seaweed farmers. This species can be propagated through spores, fragmentation, or secondary holdfast attachment, providing various seeding options (Bulboa et al. 2013). Its farming is primarily carried out by local fishers within their TURFs or aquaculture concessions in the Atacama, Coquimbo, and Los Lagos regions. Despite Chile’s rich diversity of economically valuable seaweeds and the significant advancements in farming techniques over the past 40 years, seaweed production has remained stagnant for more than two decades. One key challenge is economic: nowadays, farmed seaweeds are considerably more expensive than those harvested from wild populations, a situation that can be ameliorated only with large farm extensions (Westermeier et al. 2012, Camus et al. 2019). Additionally, the country exports mostly commodities, with limited added-value processing and few diversified applications for seaweed products, restricting profitability along the entire value chain. For species with a long cultivation history, biosecurity issues also pose a major challenge. G. chilensis farmers, for example, experience recurring pest outbreaks that lead to lower selling prices or even complete crop losses. Likewise, the regulatory framework for biosecurity is incipient (Mendez et al. 2024) and the potential biosecurity risks (e.g. local pathogens) are just being described (Murúa et al. 2024). Furthermore, like many seaweed industries worldwide, Chile’s sector has not benefited from genetic improvement programs, which is exacerbated in seaweeds with poor genetic diversity (Huanel et al. 2022). The continued use of the same genetic material for years has hindered production growth and prevented solutions to these persistent challenges. In contrast to its current inertia, Chile’s seaweed aquaculture sector has the potential for a promising future. Global trends indicate a rising demand for sustainably sourced seaweed biomass, driven by its expanding applications in high-value industries such as biostimulants, nutraceuticals, and food, which require premiumquality raw materials (World Bank 2023). Additionally, the sector aligns with at least six UN-FAO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): enhancing food security (SDG 2), creating economic opportunities (SDG 8), promoting sustainable production (SDG 12), supporting climate mitigation (SDG 13) through CO2 absorption, improving marine ecosystems (SDG 14) by enhancing water quality and biodiversity, and reducing pressure on terrestrial agriculture, contributing to ecosystem conservation (SDG 15). FIGURE 8. Workshop carried out to identify the main actions required to implement the Action Plan in Chile for the Conservation, Sustainable Use, and Development of Aquatic Genetic Resources (AGR). (CONTINUED ON PAGE 32)
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