Avila Marcela1 3, Gesica Aroca 1 3, Daniel Rodriguez1, Ricardo Riquelme1, Juan Pablo Rodríguez 2 3 4, Zambra López 2, Cecilia Godoy 1, Manira Matamala1, Andrés Mansilla 2 3 4
1 Universidad Arturo Prat, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ejército 443, Puerto Montt, Chile
2 Laboratorio de Ecosistemas Marinos Antárticos y Subantárticos, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile.
3 Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile.
4 Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Antárticas y Subantárticas, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas Chile.
The Pyropia-Porphyra complex in southern Chile has been consumed since ancient times by coastal communities and indigenous peoples. It is harvested manually during low tide, mainly by women. Its preparation, maintenance and commercialization are artisanal. The objective of this work was to obtain information on collectors, extraction sites, processed products and sustainability of the fishery in southern Chile. Official landing statistics (SERNAPESCA) were also analyzed. The results indicate that between 2012 and 2021, there is a sustained increase of exploitation in natural beds, from 12 t to 200 t per year. There are 1,690 active seaweed collectors in the southern zone, 73% of whom are women. The algae harvested from natural beds show morphological variability and generally the fishermen harvest in very distant places during winter, spring and summer season, the latter being the most important in terms of volume. The average age of seaweed collectors is around 54 years and in general they have a low educational level. The yield per collector is variable and they work between 1 to 3 hours per day, with favorable tides level. Marketing is individual and they sell the seaweed dried compacted, smoked compacted, and sometimes freshly harvested. Recently, an emerging market has been developed by entrepreneurs who provide dehydrated ground or flaked products in offer dehydrated products in ground or flaked form in hermetically sealed, labeled packages. Natural caption of spores in natural beds is presented as a sustainability mechanism for this fishery.