Management areas Mussel seeds collection Challenges’s Workshop
June 19th, 2023
On April 19th, this Management areas Mussel seeds collection Challenges’s Workshop was successfully carried out, developed within 2022 Management Area Fisheries Monitoring Program framework. This activity is related to knowing mussels (Mytilus chilensis) banks status and larvae capture in AMERB, aiming to identify proposals for measures to promote mussels natural banks sustainability and seeds collection. This work session was organized and coordinated by IFOP’s Management Areas Section’s professionals Catherine González and Gabriela Arenas from IFOP Valparaíso, together with Alex González from IFOP Ancud. In addition, for this workshop’s dissemination there was significant support from Hualaihué Artisanal Fishermen Unions Federation and Hualaihue Municipality.
The activity was carried out at Quincho Rucahue events center in Hornopirén, and convened artisanal fishermen organizations attached to Hornopirén commune management areas, which collect mussel seeds; in which the productive chain first link development corresponds to a priority socioeconomic activity. During the day, there was also Martina Delgado participation, who belongs to Fisheries and Aquaculture Zonal Directorate from Los Lagos Region, Eleazar Flores from Artisanal Fisheries Department, from National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Miguel Jiménez in charge of Municipality of Hualaihue Development and Fishing .
Among invited speakers were National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service officials , Marcela Gallegos and Carolina González, who spoke about preventive inspection, rights and obligations associated with collecting seeds in management areas and other collection areas. In addition, Macarena Herrera, from IFOP Puerto Montt, a researcher at the Mutilidae Larval Monitoring Program, referred to benthic resource Mitylus chilensis reproductive aspects giving an account of space-time coverage of the Monitoring Program and the IT platform that IFOP has for display public information of interest to the mussel farmer.
Monitoring mussel larvae website
The workshop was an opportunity to disseminate useful information for artisanal fishermen’s organizations that carry out mussel seed collection activities; On the other hand, the event made it possible to discuss and make visible difficulties, of which the existence of administrative differences in the regulation of the mussel seed collection activity stands out, referring to management areas, little importance permits or future special collection permits and concessions, which would be affecting the productive chain associated with this activity.
Researcher Gabriela Arenas pointed out that: “…the workshop success was shown in the attendees active participation, who, from the knowledge and experience of their daily activities, exposed the difficulties and threats both at the administrative and operational levels. , which seem to be transversal among artisanal fishermen different organizations participating in this workshop…”.
On the other hand, researcher Macarena Herrera highlighted that: “…any dissemination and dissemination activity generates more interaction with users associated with mussel farming, which allows obtaining a better perspective of our research scope and projections in the area. In turn, by sharing with colleagues from other IFOP programs and departments, who work in converging lines of research, highly interesting instances of dialogue are achieved that make visible, with greater focus, the challenges to be faced…”.
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