Abstract

Chilean aquaculture has a low diversification in terms of marine species to culture; it is supported by 97% from salmon and mussels industries, both developed in 63% and 99.9% in Los Lagos region, respectively. The project aims to develop a technological package for the small mussel farmer for increase their competitiveness using integrated culture in their farms. The small-scale mussel farmers (APE: acuicultura de pequeña escala), enerates 35% of the total mussels production, characterized by: low work capital, limited technologies, hand work low qualification, informality on the work activity and significantly predominance of extensive culture, where 88% are monocultures. The project seeks to exploit and/or re-use organic and inorganic wastes produced by the mussel farming activity, optimize available physical space within each culture site promoting aquaculture diversification and generating an alternative income for this sector, therefore, to face adversities that currently happen in this sector (over-production, demand reduction, losses during production phase (10- 15% loss in harvest), harmful algal blooms events, seeds caption fluctuation, among others). A research would be developed in marine organisms such as gastropods, crustaceans, seaweeds and echinoderms for it integrated culture within mussel’s farms. The project would be focused in two types of culture technologies: 1) determination on the use of detached mussels biomass, for the maintenance of aquatic species under a less active culture regime, due to appropriate characteristics of cultured species in the use of this type of methodology, such as: seaweeds are able to use the inorganic material for growth, gastropods and crustaceans have low migration patterns and their diet includes mussels, also, they are able to feed themselves, and are present under farms, among others. The less active cultivation concept means that the mussel farmer should not feed species for it culture, however, associated costs would be given by the introduction of plants and animals for growth and for the use or not of a culture system, 2) direct use of mussels as food item, where the farmer would need to invest in confinement systems for the culture of chosen species. For the echinoderm (sea urchin), animal that feeds mainly on seaweeds, its cultivation would be combined. In other words, seaweeds must be cultivated for the sea urchin production. In addition, the project would conduct technical-economic and legal feasibility studies, in order to provide tools to the mussel farmer to develop this type of cultures and choose target species according to their productive and economic characteristics. Likewise, the project would provide to the “Mandante” institution (Subsecretaría de Pesca) scientifictechnological- economic information, to support the generation of rules, regulations and public policies towards the sustainability of mussel APE groups. Results of this project would be packaged as technical manuals and transferred to end users (APEs mussel farmers), and related public and private sector as well, through a pilot training program, technical workshops and international seminar