WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2025 27 Chile. In 2024 the total production reached 11,176 tonnes, accounting for 0.8% of the total national harvest. The seaweed called “pelillo” (Gracilaria chilensis) with 9.9 thousand tonnes represented 88.7% of the national seaweed production, which was exploited mainly within Los Lagos (8.3 thousand tonnes, 84.1%), followed by Coquimbo (1.2 thousand tonnes, 12.2%) (SUBPESCA 2024). The objective of this article is to describe the trajectory of some of the species being cultivated in Chile (salmon, Chilean mussel, and seaweed), and their production levels as well as the main challenges they are facing to make Chilean aquaculture a sustainable activity. Salmon Farming Salmonid species are not native in Chile. The introduction of salmon and trout in Chile was primarily for recreational purposes, and dates to the 19th century, whilst commercial aquaculture was consolidated later in the 1970s. During this period, the Chilean State played a key role in promoting aquaculture as a strategy to diversify the economy and strengthen the export sector, historically dominated by mining. During the 1980s, Chilean salmon farming was supported by local academic institutions such as the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP) and various universities, as well as foreign investment from Japan, Norway and the United States. This period was marked by the generation of knowledge, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, Aquaculture is one of the main activities to increase the availability of sea food for a growing global population. Currently, aquaculture in Chile is the second most important economic activity, and to reach this place important efforts have been made by the public, private, civil and academic sectors. Chilean aquaculture is concentrated within a few species and mostly in southern Chile (Figure 1). The accumulated annual production in 2024 was 1,419 million tonnes, where fish production contributed with 70.4%, followed by mollusks and seaweed with 28.9% and 0.8%, respectively (Subpesca 2024). The main species farmed were Salmo salar (Atlantic salmon; 49.5%), Mytilus chilensis (Chilean mussel or “chorito”; 28.4%), and Oncorhynchus kisutch (Coho salmon; 16.3%). In relation to the geographic distribution of the aquaculture facilities, aquaculture operates between Los Lagos with 930,700 tonnes (65.6%) and the Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo region with 372,600 tonnes (26.3%). Although most of the salmon biomass is harvested from southern Chile, the freshwater phase of salmonids extends to lower latitude facilities. In northern Chile, Argopecten purpuratus (northern scallop or “ostión del norte”) is another mollusk species widely farmed, spanning Coquimbo and Atacama regions. This sector provides 4,125 tonnes, corresponding to 0.3% of the Chilean aquaculture production. A second scallop species is cultivated in the southernmost region: Austrochlamys natans (southern scallop or “ostión del sur”). Seaweeds are the third most-produced aquaculture resource in LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CHAPTER CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Chilean Aquaculture: Current Scenario, Gaps and Challenges for a Sustainable Activity Sandra L. Marín, Marcela P. Astorga, Camila Barría, Rodrigo Carrasco, Alexander Jaramillo-Torres, Carlos Molinet, Pedro Murúa, María José Torrealba and Felipe Tucca FIGURE 1. Geographical distribution of aquaculture-related activities across Chilean administrative regions. Aquaculture is one of the main activities to increase the availability of sea food for a growing global population. Currently, aquaculture in Chile is the second most important economic activity, and to reach this place important efforts have been made by the public, private, civil and academic sectors. Chilean aquaculture is concentrated within a few species and mostly in southern Chile. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 28)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=