Currently, IFOP has a total staff of 200 Scientific Observers, distributed between Arica and Puerto Williams, who participate in these training programs in one modality or another. They belong to 13 projects for the 2026 Advisory Services for Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (ASIPA) of the Fisheries Research Division (DIP).
With the aim of strengthening the technical and scientific capabilities of its Scientific Observers (SO), the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) developed the Scientific Observer Training (FOC) courses and Knowledge Revalidation Workshops during November and December 2025. These are key instances to comply with Decree No. 193 dated December 20, 2013, Exempt Resolution No. 1463 of June 2, 2015, and Law 20.625 of September 24, 2012 (Discard Law), which regulate the accreditation of competencies for scientific observation before the Fisheries Authority. These training sessions, which were provided by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), seek to ensure that Scientific Observers have the knowledge and skills necessary to adequately carry out the sampling of fishery resources and the collection of biological, fishery, ecosystem, and environmental data and information.
In particular, for newly joined Scientific Observers with less than a year of tenure at IFOP who, consequently, had not taken previous versions of the program, the 2025 Scientific Observer Training Courses were held. This activity involved the participation of 20 people through theoretical classes, held synchronously in an online format, followed by a period of personal study and a final theoretical exam.
Subsequently, the participants also had to take and pass the face-to-face practical workshops, held between December 10 and 12, 2025, at IFOP’s Hueihue Experimental Center in Ancud. Through these workshops, the Scientific Observers were able to acquire the necessary skills in the use of measuring instruments and standard equipment, as part of the IFOP ISO 9001-2015 Quality Management System, verification and registration in control forms, identification and completion of forms for species sampling, and data entry into the institution’s computer platforms.
Meanwhile, for Scientific Observers with greater seniority who had therefore already completed the FOC courses previously and held valid certification, Knowledge Revalidation Workshops were carried out. This activity, in which 170 Scientific Observers participated, was held in an asynchronous online format, culminating in a theoretical evaluation that covered the fundamental contents of the four thematic units of the FOC courses: Identification of marine species, Fishing gear and tackle, Sampling techniques, and Fisheries regulations. This ensures a homogeneous update of scientific knowledge aligned with institutional and regulatory standards, reaffirming IFOP’s commitment to the technical excellence of its Scientific Observers, the strengthening of capabilities and competencies for scientific observation, and the quality of data and information as fundamental bases for the sustainable management of the country’s fishery resources.
The training team was composed of Field Coordinators from the Talcahuano Regional Office: Alicia Gallardo, Verónica Valdebenito, Christian Villouta, and Nelson Salas; and technical support was provided by Senior Scientific Observers Jaime Rivera, Miguel Vegas, Luis Olavarría, Judith Díaz, and Raúl Rojas, who contributed their extensive knowledge and experience in field sampling.
