In order to build a productive and competitive aquaculture sector the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA) has identified 5,000 additional hectares for the growth of aquaculture.
The head of the CONAPESCA, Mario Aguilar Sánchez, said that with this growth promotion, aquaculture will be able to achieve the production target of 394,000 tons annually by 2018.
The areas selected for growth were identified based on their physical, environmental and socioeconomic characteristics.
Mr Aguilar Sánchez noted that, according to the Statistical Yearbook of Fisheries, there is currently 115,910 hectares devoted to aquaculture.
Throughout the country, it has been identified that there are about 20 million hectares which are suitable for aquaculture, especially for species like tilapia, shrimp, shellfish, marine fish, catfish and trout.
Aquaculture will therefore remain one of the main sectors in Chile, he added.
To help the expansion of aquaculture, four main incentives have been defined.
Rural Aquaculture is one of the incentives which will guide the development of small-scale projects in poor areas to improve the quality of life of the communities.
Commercial Aquaculture in Inland is another incentive to promote the generation of industrial-scale aquaculture companies to harness the hydro potential of the country.
The improvement Productive Reservoir will help strengthen the resources available to aquaculture through the production of high quality juveniles.
Mariculture is the fourth of the incentives, and will develop productive projects applying validated technological models.
