© Luis Tapia
Much of the couple’s interest in seaweed is due to José's early days as the manager of a Gracilaria farm in Caldera in 1998. Seven years later, at a time when most of the region's aquaculture producers were focused on scallop or oyster farming, he and Carolina bet on seaweed and managed to acquire their own farm site.
"Since we came from fishing, we realised an important relationship: when the Lessonia trabeculate forests in the management areas began to disappear due to overharvesting, the fish also disappeared. In our seaweed farm, on the other hand, we observe rich biodiversity. Unlike the production of scallops, seaweed farming fosters a healthier ecosystem by allowing other species to thrive," says José.
The couple are currently the only farm in Caldera that has its own seaweed processing plant and they focus on adding value, rather than selling in bulk – making them unique in the region, according to José, whose experience spans fisheries, diving and business administration.
Meanwhile, Carolina comes from a family with strong ties to artisanal fishing and has her own licence as a fisherwoman and shore-based seaweed collector.
Their farm is located in Bahía Inglesa, where they cultivate several species of seaweed – starting with Gracilaria chilensis. For the past two years, they have incorporated Gigartina and Mazzaella canaliculata into their production – the latter supported by a study led by the Universidad Católica del Norte, with the objective of better understanding the biology and seasonal development of this macroalgae, allowing small-scale aquaculture operators the chance to diversify.
Varied cultivation techniques
José points out that, due to the different species of seaweed they cultivate, it’s necessary to use a variety of production techniques – long-line, mesh tubes and bottom seeding. This allows them to use the entire water column, and gives them the flexibility both to maximise production and to maintain a healthy crop year-round.
During peak production periods, they harvest just over 7 dry tonnes (the equivalent of about 42 wet tonnes) of Gracilaria per month and 4 dry tonnes of Gigartina. However, the latter is limited by the sporadic availability of seedlings in the region, which means they cannot produce it year-round. Meanwhile their trials with Mazzaella canaliculata generate around 800 dry kilos per month.
"These seaweeds have periods of higher growth as the water temperature increases. Our productivity is higher from September onwards,” José explains.
Developing value-added products
For José and Carolina, working with seaweed is a way of life.
"I harvest the seaweed, clean it, hang it, dry it and pack it. We do it all ourselves. Every day I have to go to the processing plant, every day there is something to do," Carolina reflects.
However, during peak production periods, a total of six people are involved in the work. At harvest, boats are used to transport the seaweed from the growing areas to trucks that take it 5 km to the processing plant.
At the plant, the process continues with drying the seaweed on large tables in the sun. It’s then transferred to the warehouse, where it is meticulously cleaned by hand, with any other species being removed, before being packaged.
Since they began marketing value-added seaweeds, they have opted to sell them in dehydrated forms to both the domestic and international markets through an intermediary.
“We offer our seaweeds in bales or sacks, ground or powdered, since they are increasingly in demand in the international market for animal nutrition,” explains José.
According to the couple, the price for dried Mazzaella canaliculata was around $1.62 per kilo in 2024, although the market is volatile and prices can fluctuate. Meanwhile production costs were approximately $1 per kg.
Over the last seven years, they have also developed a wide range of seaweed-based product prototypes.
"We developed a gel, based on seaweed carrageenan, flavoured with ginger and turmeric. This product delivers all the minerals from Mazzaella canaliculata to consumers, such as iodine, magnesium, calcium and iron. To obtain the gel, we carry out an organic extraction process, without adding external materials or chemical products," says José.
Although not yet commercially available, the couple says that the gels are generating interest at universities and research centres, which are keen to collaborate on studies and tests to validate and enhance their benefits.
"We recently had a meeting with the University of Atacama's Coastal Research Center. They are very interested in working with the entire line of seaweed-based products we are developing,” notes José.
They are also developing a range of pet treats, having noted that seaweed-based products were gaining traction in other countries. Their snacks include collagen and carrageenan from Mazzaella canaliculata – if the gel is so beneficial to humans, it should also be beneficial to pets José reflects.
They are also looking at livestock feeds.
"We created a formula to add seaweed to poultry and goat feed. We make a mixture of dried seaweed [Ulva lactuca and Gigartina], in a specific proportion, not exceeding 10 percent, and add it to the animals’ normal diets. The Coastal Research Center of the Universidad de Atacama is already interested in carrying out a comparative study to evaluate the benefits that this type of feed can have on poultry," José explains.
A significant incentive has been provided by the “Innova Región” fund of the Production Development Corporation (CORFO), which awarded Carolina around $71,000 to develop a cold-pressed seaweed-based biostimulant, to increase the yield and resilience of crops in arid areas.
This biostimulant will include farmed Mazzaella canaliculata, Agarophyton chilensis, Chondracanthus chamissoi and Ulva lactuca, as well as wild Macrocystis pyrifera, which is present in large quantities on the Atacama coast.
According to Carolina, this could have a major impact, as the region’s agriculture sector is facing significant challenges from climate change, overexploitation of natural resources and dependence on expensive and ecologically questionable chemical inputs, such as fertilisers and pesticides.
They are now looking for ways to add value to their crop © Luis Tapia
Creating a cooperative
With the desire to join forces and work for the common good, in 2022 José and Carolina created the cooperative, APROAL-COOP Calderilla, which brings together nine people – including divers, fishermen, shore collectors and a shipowner.
“It was very difficult when we started, because we had little strength on our own and very few people believed in our projects,” says José, who wants fellow members of the cooperative to replicate their success.
The cooperative have recently requested a management area – a term that assigns exclusive exploitation rights for benthic invertebrates and seaweed to legally constituted artisanal fishing organisations – of around 76 hectares from the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (SUBPESCA) and an aquaculture concession of around 5 hectares for seaweed cultivation. And they are planning to come up with an original management style.
"In general, a group that is awarded a management area is dedicated to extracting, drying and selling the seaweed that already exists there. However, we want to take what we can extract from the management area and use it to repopulate and cultivate seaweed in our aquaculture concession. We want to demonstrate that, by doing things this way, we can be more profitable, while reducing the impact on the marine ecosystem," José explains.
An eye to the future
Their commitment to sustainable practice is inspired by creating opportunities for future generations.
"This isn’t just for us. We want the people of our sector tomorrow to look at the diversity of resources that they can find underwater, and for our children to follow. That is why we are teaching them and we hope that the sector will evolve into a more advanced, environmentally friendly and sustainable system for generations to come,” José concludes.
