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...
The generation of solid scientific knowledge is a fundamental pillar for the sustainable management of marine resources. In the case of the jumbo squid, strengthening research on its biology and population dynamics is key to supporting evidence-based decisions and reducing uncertainty in management models. Investing in technical capacities, specialized equipment, and researcher training not only improves the quality of available information but also contributes to consolidating a scientific institutional framework better prepared to face the environmental and production challenges...
70 broodstock traveled in a cold chain from the Huellelhue River estuary to Ancud. With them, a community attempts to restore a key species for its economy and its ecosystem. The Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) has joined the giant mussel (Choromytilus chorus) repopulation plan that the Huellelhue community is carrying out together with the NGO Sustainable Fishing Center and the Mehuín Fisheries Polytechnic High School. Through its Mariculture Experimental Center in Hueihue, Ancud, the institute received 70 broodstock transported...
The Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) actively participated in EXPO Quellón 2026, organized by the Illustrious Municipality of Quellón. This event highlighted the importance of fishing and aquaculture activities in the southern austral region of Chile. IFOP Participation The Municipality of Quellón invited IFOP to present a sample of its scientific work. In this regard, Field Coordinator Leslie Figueroa, along with Scientific Observers Daniel Triviño and Manuel Aillapán, presented the “Sustainable Catch Scientific Observation Program,” which collects on-board data to...
The activity strengthened the technical capacities of scientific observers involved in the monitoring of highly migratory resource fisheries, addressing theoretical and practical content in anatomy, species identification, and biological monitoring. The Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) held the IV Workshop on Chondrichthyan Biology and Anatomy, aimed at scientific observers participating in the monitoring of highly migratory resource fisheries. The training took place at the IFOP headquarters in San Antonio, combining theoretical sessions with practical activities oriented toward field work. The...
Valparaíso, February 16, 2026. — As part of its agenda of activities for the current year, the Network of Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Institutes of the Pacific Alliance (Red IIAP-AP) held the webinar “Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Science” last Thursday, February 12. The meeting established itself as a high-level space for exchanging experiences and sharing common ground regarding the gender gaps that persist in marine scientific research across the region. The discussion panel featured prominent researchers and...
Within the framework of the Explora Va! Camp, aimed at preschool, elementary, and high school teachers from the Arica and Parinacota region, researchers and scientific observers from the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), the Center for Harmful Algal Studies (CREAN), and IFOP Arica conducted a training session titled “Researchable Oceans,” designed to strengthen the link between science, territory, and school education. The activity, organized in late January by the Explora Regional Associative Program of the University of Tarapacá, included a...
At the Municipal Library of Río Puelo, in the commune of Cochamó, the Integrated Workshop “Co-producing knowledge to restore mussel beds and Re-imagining common coastal well-being in the Reloncaví Fjord” took place. This event brought together academics, researchers, institutional representatives, and local stakeholders to focus on ecological restoration and the strengthening of sustainable mitiliculture in the territory. The session, held between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, aimed to activate a participatory process to identify key actors, priority zones, and...
On Sunday, January 25, 2026, with a massive attendance of over 8,000 people, the traditional Giant Curanto of Calbuco took place. This activity has established itself as one of the main summer milestones in the Los Lagos Region, strengthening cultural identity, local tourism, and the commune’s historical link with the sea. The event, held at the Rubén Cárdenas Gómez Municipal Park, was led by the commune’s mayor, Marco Andrés Silva Maldonado, who extended the invitation to authorities, institutions, and...
On January 21, the research vessel Dra. Barbieri departed from the Port of Valparaíso. For 27 days, IFOP professionals and technicians will monitor the anchovy recruitment process during the closed season between the Arica and Parinacota Region and the Antofagasta Region. The ship’s captain is Jorge Acevedo, and the cruise leader is fisheries engineer Francisco Leiva. Specific Objectives: Measure the size structure (cm) of the anchovy sampled during the closed season. Determine the percentage of recruited anchovy specimens (≤11.5...
On January 6, the research vessel Abate Molina set sail from the Port of Valparaíso. For 28 days, IFOP (Fisheries Development Institute) professionals and technicians will be characterizing and evaluating the anchovy and common sardine stocks between the Valparaíso and Los Lagos Regions using hydroacoustic methods during the peak recruitment period and the following autumn. The vessel’s captain is José Echeverría, and the research cruise leader is fisheries engineer René Vargas. Specific Objectives To estimate the size of the...
With the full participation of the mussel larval monitoring team, researchers from the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) took an active role in the workshop “Oceanography for a Changing Future: Extreme Events, Mollusk Aquaculture, and Interdisciplinarity”, held on December 11 and 12 at the Hotel Vicente Costanera in Puerto Montt. The event, organized by the Milennium Institute in Coastal Socio-Ecology (SECOS) in collaboration with AmiChile, Intemit, and Innovex SpA, brought together leading researchers, students, public sector representatives, and key stakeholders...
The initiative is funded by the Chile–Mexico Fund, managed by the Cooperation Agencies AGCID and AMEXCID. A delegation of seven people, made up of researchers from the Institute for Fisheries Development (IFOP), the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), the NGO Conectar para Conservar, together with fishers from Ancud Bay and the town of Melinka, carried out a technical internship in Mexico, on the Yucatán Peninsula, aimed at exchanging experiences and knowledge in the field of small-scale fisheries. ...
On Thursday, December 11, in Hualpén, the 2025 closing ceremony of the Semillas del Cambio program was held, organized by the Municipal Education Administration Directorate (DAEM) of the Municipality of Hualpén. The project consisted of a learning cycle and collaborative efforts for a selected group of outstanding students from various educational institutions in the municipality. A total of 38 students were selected, ranging from third grade of primary school to third grade of secondary school, representing 10 schools...
