Diagnóstico y Proyección de las Actividades de Acuicultura entre Arica y Taltal (in English)

I NSTITUTO DE FOMENTO P E S Q UERO / DIVISIÓN INVESTIGACIÓN EN ACUICULTURA 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The aim of this study is ‘to diagnose and make projections for aquaculture activities 

in the North of Chile (Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions), 

based on the characterization of environmental, sanitary, geographic and 

operational conditions. 

A diagnosis of the situation at present was made taking into consideration the 

major cultivated resources. This involved the gathering of the following 

antecedents: aquaculture trends, historical production levels, areas where 

aquaculture has been concentrated and applied research to diversify the regional 

production matrix. 

Ninety nine aquaculture concessions were identified between Arica and Taltal, of 

which 52 were authorized and 47 were in the process of being granted 

authorization. These permits cover a total area of 3445.48 ha, across 42 coastal 

sites. The historical production baseline along the coast of Arica and Taltal has 

been sustained by commercial cultures of Chilean scallop, Pacific oyster and 

Gracilaria spp. algae. In so far in epicontinental waters, commercial cultures have 

been sustained by the microalgae Haematococcus and Spirulina. In addition, 

technical-scientific antecedents of cultivation experiments (national and 

international) were collected for the main hydrobiological species for which interest 

or potential exist for their cultivation. This information relates to: seed production, 

weight gain and optimal cultivation conditions, intensity space utilization, among 

other aspects relevant in establishing the level of development of resource 

cultivation. Externalities and limitations were also identified associated with 

aquaculture development. Forty five hydrobiological species were selected within 

the study area for possible cultivation, of which only 5 are commercially cultured 

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FIP N° 2008-34 - INFORME FINAL: DIAGNÓSTICO Y PROYECCIÓN DE LAS ACTIVIDADES DE ACUICULTURA ENTRE ARICA Y TALTAL


and 24 experimentally. Sixteen additional species were considered due to 

promising results in commercial or experimental cultures in other regions of the 

country, and due to good medium-term prospects for industrial upscaling. In 

parallel, scientific and technical literature was collected regarding the possible 

environmental effects caused by aquaculture activities in Chile and abroad, thus 

identifying impacts per type of culture (species, culture system) in marine and 

freshwater environments. With knowledge of the possible impacts, the most 

relevant environmental parameters to aquaculture were determined, associated 

with three physical environmental matrices: seabed, hydrobiological resource and 

water column. This step was fundamental in evaluating areas of interest, according 

to their sanitary and environmental status. 

Moreover, an exhaustive analysis of the current environmental legislation in Chile 

and its application in aquaculture in the North of the country was carried out. 

Regulations and international tracking programs were also identified (e.g., ECASA, 

EEA), of which certain procedures could be applied in Chile. 

Thirty four environmental and sanitary parameters were identified for (marine) 

aquaculture development according to the environmental matrix (sediment, 

hydrobiological resource and water). To determine the condition of the sediment, 

certain Canadian standards and guidelines for the protection of aquatic life were 

included: bathymetry, granulometry, organic material load and bottom topography. 

In so far as considered relevant in determining the sanitary conditions of certain 

resources within a selected area, the following were included: heavy metal 

concentration (Hg, Cd, Pb and As), the presence of deleterious microorganisms for 

human health such as Salmonella and paralytic, diarrhetic and amnesic toxins 

found in seafood. Currentometry parameters, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, 

temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, pH, heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb and As), 

hydrogen sulfide, phosphorus, (phosphate–orthophosphate), biological oxygen 

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demand, nitrogen, nitrate, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and pesticides, were all 

considered important variables in determining the environmental conditions of the 

water column. 

To counteract the lack of sanitary and environmental information for the study area, 

complementary sampling was done in the following selected areas: Playa 

Corazones (south of Arica), Caleta Camarones, Bahía de Pisagua, Caleta Los 

Verdes, Caleta Chanavayita, Caleta Chipana, Caleta Punta Arenas, Caleta 

Constitución, Caleta Paposo and Caleta Buena (south of Taltal). These localities 

were selected using a graphical analysis which allowed the delimitation of 

homogenous areas and the discarding of areas where economic activities are 

incompatible with small scale aquaculture or provoke deleterious environmental 

impacts. 

With respect to the relevant parameters for public health, the following were limiting in 

the commercialization of aquaculture products: marine mollusks obtained in situ 

exceeded maximum levels of arsenic (2.0 mg/kg), for two thirds of the stations south 

of Bahía de Pisagua and at the three sampling stations in Caleta Chanavayita. With 

regards to lead, only a third of the sampling stations in Caleta Chanavayita registered 

mollusks that exceeded the maximum (1.5 mg/kg). No sampling stations exceeded 

the maximum for mercury (0.50 mg/kg), in contrast with cadmium where all sampled 

stations exceeded the maximum (1.0 mg/kg). 

Based on the results obtained from complimentary sampling, we conclude that the 

best sites for aquaculture development in geophysical and environmental-sanitary 

terms are: Caleta Corazones, Caleta Chanavayita, Caleta Punta Arenas, Caleta 

Constitución and Caleta Buena. The restrictive limitation is the high levels of 

cadmium that exceed the maximum. 

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Along the coast of the northern regions of Chile, (Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá 

and Antofagasta), there are 70 coastal polygons described in legal decrees as 

Suitable Areas for Aquaculture activities (A.A.A). These polygons are distributed 

between 41 sites, covering a total area of 32,129.91 ha. Nevertheless, despite the 

available area, there is clear underutilization of these areas, such that in 47 of 

these coastal polygons there are no aquaculture concessions or concession 

requests. Furthermore, there are issues regarding the overlap with AMERBs 

(Areas of Management and Exploitation of Benthic Resources). In function of 

coastal dynamics, 27 bay systems were identified in the study area. 

All the environmental information collected was plotted with Geographical 

Information System (GIS), producing standardized and normalized thematic maps, 

as well as determining variables and/or parameters which can be considered 

operationally suitable in designating “suitable areas for aquaculture”, with a focus 

on improved space utilization and the sustainability of this economic activity. 

In order to determine the species of “interest for aquaculture” an index was developed 

(IPEA: Index for Species Prioritization in Aquaculture) given the lack of this kind of 

tool. This procedure classified 14 species as “priority species” and 20 species as “non 

priority species” or “not for immediate consideration”, based on bioproductive, 

technological and economic considerations. Species within the first group were the 

following: Chilean scallop (Argopecten purpurata), Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), 

Chilean oyster (Tiostrea chilensis), red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), Chilean abalone 

(Concholepas concholepas), octopus (Octopus mimus), South American freshwater 

shrimp (Cryphiops caementarius), hairy marron crayfish (Cherax tenuimanus), Chilean 

halfmoon (Medialuna ancietae), yellowtail amberjack (Seriola lalandi), tuna (Thunnus 

spp.), Japanese sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus), giant kelp (Lessonia 

nigrescens) and Gracilaria spp. algae. Thereafter, geographical areas of interest and 

priority species were matched, generating cultivation capabilities by sector. Results 

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from a numerical procedure indicate that: Cerro Moreno-Isla Santa Maria, Ñajo- 

Pabellón de Pica, Caleta San Marcos-Playa Corazones, Tocopilla-Río Loa and Taltal- 

Paposo are the areas where the best conditions are concentrated (High Potential) for 

the development of aquaculture, allowing the cultivation of 6 to 12 of the total of 

evaluated species in this analysis. Those species with the highest suitability across 

study areas were (in decreasing order): Gracilaria spp., Chilean scallop, giant kelp, 

Chilean oyster and red abalone, whose spatial coverage spans at least 7 areas. Punta 

Camarones-Caleta Chica, Tiviliche–Pisagua, Chipana and Playa Folkers-Lobitos only 

scored intermediate conditions in the diversification matrix, allowing for the cultivation 

of 2 to 4 species. Most of the biological requirements for the Japanese oyster, 

octopus, Chilean abalone, Peruvian halfmoon and the Japanese sea cucumber were 

not present in the areas evaluated, thus these species are spatially limited to areas 

where production is possible but with certain restrictions (Medium Potential). In the 

case of amberjack and tuna, both species presented Low Potential in the Playa 

Folkers - Lobito sector which makes their cultivation unsuitable in this coastal area, 

(Table 1.43). The same premises should be followed for other areas where medium 

potential was identified, except Cerro Moreno-Isla Santa María where potential was 

high. 

The procedures outlined in this study are focused on better spatial utilization and 

sustainability of resource cultivation, representing a tool that allows better orientation 

for decision making in integrated spatial management in aquaculture. This can be 

used for spatial planning of resource use, locating areas of potential, zonification of 

areas with previously defined limits (geographically and politico-administratively) and 

comparing the productive and environmental value of different zones, among other 

applications in conserving a national resource of public use. 

To quantify the evolution or development of the aquaculture sector, a tracking 

system was employed which incorporates geographical factors, resource 

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characteristics and the human context in which the activity is being developed. 

With this in mind and in order to support the digital organization and storage of 

data, the DigAreas.exe program was developed. This tool enables data of the 

specific area of interest (AAA, MPA, AMERB, etc.), to form a non-limited grouping 

of coordinate pairs in Lat-Lon or UTM format, indicating datum and linking samples 

to data. The data from samples covered the following areas: Sediment, Water, 

Macrofauna and Resources. 

Finally, it is important to point out that the experience of IFOP in these kinds of 

projects indicates that the early involvement of interest groups leads to result 

validation, facilitates reaching a consensus and reduces subsequent conflicts. 

Thus, with the aim of achieving high levels of participation, this project included 

participative methodology which among others, consisted in workshops for the 

diffusion and discussion of results in the three relevant regions. Also, an 

informative blog was set up which is constantly being updated, 

http://proyectofip2008-34.blogspot.com. Additionally, an image gallery was created 

via a social networking site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/proyectofip2008-34/. 

Mayor información disponible: 

https://www.academia.edu/4713776/IF_N_2008-34_Diagn 

%C3%B3stico_y_Proyecci 

%C3%B3n_de_las_Actividades_de_Acuicultura_entre_Arica_y_Taltal 

http://www.fip.cl/FIP/Archivos/pdf/informes/inffinal%202008-34.pdf 

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INSTITUTO DE FOMENTO PESQUERO 

Sección Ediciones y Producción 

Blanco 839, Fono 56-32-2151500 

Valparaíso, Chile 

www.ifop.cl

Diagnóstico y Proyección de las Actividades de Acuicultura entre Arica y Taltal (in English)

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