28 August 2026
Organized by the IFOP Restocking and Aquaculture Department
The prestigious scientific journal Fisheries Research has officially published its new special issue entitled “Aquaculture-Aided Enhancement for Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries.” This milestone represents the culmination of the work developed within the framework of the 7th International Symposium on Stock Improvement and Sea Ranching (ISSESR7), held in November 2024 in Puerto Varas. This scientific and public event—marked by the commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP)—made history by being held for the first time in a Latin American country, under the organization of IFOP’s Restocking and Aquaculture Department.
A Bridge Between Science, Conservation, and the Productive Sector
ISSESR7 brought together more than 70 international experts and students from countries such as Australia, the United States, China, Spain, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, and Indonesia, as well as a distinguished delegation from national universities. The meeting addressed the urgent need to respond to overfishing, habitat degradation, and climate change with research focused on stock improvement, species and ecosystem restoration, and the promotion of quantitative tools to support the design, implementation, and recognition of how aquaculture-based technologies can address the main fisheries challenges of the 21st century.
The Special Issue compiles the most significant advances presented during the symposium, offering an updated and evidence-based ecological framework for the sustainable management of coastal oceans.
Main topics covered in the publication:
- Restorative and conservation aquaculture: Use of aquaculture technologies for the recovery of habitats, species, ecological functions, and the mitigation of impacts on the seabed.
- Repopulation and Sea Ranching Techniques: Advanced strategies for the assisted improvement of stocks of benthic species and commercially and ecologically important fish.
- Technology and Monitoring: Implementation of artificial reefs, monitoring tools, and socio-ecological assessment models.
- Governance and Participation: Regulatory frameworks, public policies, and collaborative experiences with artisanal fishers and small-scale fish farmers, as well as the restoration of species and ecosystem functions of cultural value.
International Leadership with the RyC – IFOP Seal
The preparation and scientific editing of this special volume was carried out by a prestigious international editorial committee comprised of Professor Matthew Taylor, Professor Kai Lorenzen, Professor Neil Loneragan, Dr. Alistair Becker, Dr. Ed Camp, and, representing IFOP, Dr. Luis Henríquez-Antipa, Senior Researcher and Chairman of the symposium. The journal also included contributions from IFOP professionals Dr. Pablo Leal, Dr. Francisco Cárcamo, MSc. Denisse Torres, MSc. Sandra Saavedra, MSc. Yerico Alanis, and MSc. (candidate) Sebastián Cook.
This achievement reaffirms the commitment of IFOP’s Repopulation and Aquaculture Department to generating high-level applied research, positioning Chile as a Latin American and international leader in the search for nature-based solutions for the future of fisheries, aquaculture, and marine conservation.
The scientific articles and the complete issue are now available to the academic and professional community, as well as the general public, at:
