Dr. Osvaldo Ulloa shared his experience on expeditions to depths of over 8,000 meters and the latest advances in the study of extreme ecosystems. As part of the Benthic Fisheries Monitoring Project, a keynote address was given by Dr. Osvaldo Ulloa Quijada, professor at the University of Concepción and director of the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO), at the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) in Talcahuano. The event was organized by senior researcher Nancy Barahona Toledo and Regional Director Sergio...
As part of the Benthic Fisheries Monitoring Project, nine scientific observers from fishing coves in the Biobío and Los Ríos regions participated in a training workshop held at the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) in Talcahuano. The activity, organized by senior researcher Nancy Barahona Toledo, along with regional director Sergio Flores Claramunt and field coordinator Nelson Salas Jiménez, aimed to strengthen the technical skills of the participants, who play a key role in collecting information for the sustainable management of...
The heads of the Arica and Iquique regional offices, Claudia Molina and Hernan Padilla, accompanied by the Head of the Department of Oceanography and Environment (DOMA), Dr. Jaime Letelier, participated as active members in the second session of the regional roundtable on El Niño and Climate Change. During this session, IFOP representatives presented the results of their monitoring of the 2026 El Niño event, which is currently developing and affecting the northern coast of Chile, impacting the availability of...
On Monday, May 4, students from the Natural Resources Engineering program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), specializing in Marine Systems/Sustainable Development, visited the Valparaíso facilities of the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP). The purpose of the visit was to learn firsthand about IFOP’s work as an advisory body to the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SSPA). During the visit, the students toured the research vessel Abate Molina and participated in presentations given by researchers and department heads...
A binational workshop of the GEF Humboldt II project analyzed particle drift simulations and detected areas of high connectivity and retention along the coastal strip of southern Peru and northern Chile. Lima hosted the workshop “Oceanographic Modeling and Larval Connectivity of Anchovy between Southern Peru and Northern Chile (16°–26°S)” from April 22 to 24, 2026. The activity, organized by the Binational Group on Fisheries Oceanography and Modeling of the GEF Humboldt II project, aims to provide scientific evidence for...
This is his second time leading the institution, having previously served from 2018 to 2022. Luis Parot Donoso is a Fisheries Engineer (E) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, class of 1973, and holds an MBA. He has a distinguished professional and political career in the Valparaíso Region. His professional life has been linked to the municipal sector, where he served as: Director of the Social Area, Director of Operations, and Municipal Administrator in the municipalities of Viña...
Chilean mussel (Mytilus chilensis) aquaculture is one of the main productive activities in the Los Lagos Region, with a supply chain that contributes significantly to regional economic development. However, it faces persistent challenges, such as variability in seed collection and competition for substrate, key factors for production efficiency. In this context, fouling—the colonization of structures by organisms other than the target species—is a growing concern for the sector. The correct installation of collectors and the optimal timing of collection...
The final workshop of the project “Incorporation of Anchovy Monitoring Associated with the Artisanal Fishing Fleet of the Atacama Region,” funded for the third year by the Atacama Regional Government, was held at the University of Atacama’s Cultural Development Center in the city of Caldera. This project facilitated a research cruise to assess the abundance and distribution of anchovy in the Atacama Region, complementing the Recruitment and Spawning Stock cruises, which together provide the community with information on the...
On April 14, the first International Workshop of the project “Contributing to a Comprehensive Vision of the Fisheries Reality by Incorporating the Socioeconomic Dimension into the Diagnosis, Management, and Decision-Making Processes in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in the Pacific Alliance Countries” was held virtually. The project, funded by the Pacific Alliance Cooperation Fund, is being implemented by the Department of Economics and Statistics (DEE) of IFOP. For more information, visit: https://www.ifop.cl/nuestro-que-hacer/la-investigacion-pesquera/departamento-de-economia-y-estadistica-dee/alianza-del-pacifico/ This important project milestone included the participation...
The meeting established the initial guidelines for defining the Ocean Node’s governance model. The Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences at the University of Playa Ancha hosted the first governance meeting led by the North Central Ocean Natural Laboratory Node (Ocean Node). Representatives from the project’s partner institutions, the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), and the CIV-VAL Node participated. Impact on the Territories The meeting aimed to inform and co-design a governance model for the Ocean Node. The...
Contao, Hualaihué – In a day marked by technical dialogue and the active participation of the artisanal fishing sector, researchers from the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) participated in an activity organized by the Hualaihué Fishermen’s Federation, held in the town of Contao. The event included the participation of professionals from the Fisheries Research Division and the Aquaculture Research Division, who presented the main results of the Demersal and Deep-Sea Fisheries Monitoring Program. Researchers Patricio Gálvez, Rodrigo San Juan, Renato...
The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), at its 14th meeting held in Panama in March, approved the proposal of its 13th Scientific Committee (SC) and re-elected Dr.(c) Ignacio Payá as Vice-Chair of the Scientific Committee for a second 2-year term (https://www.sprfmo.int/meetings/comm/14th-commission-meeting). Dr.(c) Payá will continue to participate as a member of the Chilean delegation, except when he must substitute for the Chair of the Committee. Dr.(c) Payá has participated for 12 years in the jack mackerel and...
IFOP participated in the Chilean delegation at the 14th meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), held in Panama in early March (https://www.sprfmo.int/meetings/comm/14th-commission-meeting). The IFOP members who participated were the Executive Director, Gonzalo Pereira, and researcher Ignacio Payá. In his role as Vice-Chair of the Commission’s Scientific Committee, Payá participated in technical meetings held prior to the Commission meeting: 1) general coordination meeting for the Commission meeting, 2) workshop on Electronic Monitoring, and 3) “dialogue with...
