5. CONCLUSIONS

Chilean salmon farming has shown an impressive growth. In around 25 years the country became the leader as farmed trout producer and the second as farmed salmon producer. In general, regulations moved back of the industry growth generating several gaps that did not help in preventing environmental/ sanitary problems. In fact in 2007 the ISA crisis caused enormous impact on the industry with important socioeconomic consequences.

This fact pushes for a rapid and profound change in regulations triggering the spatial management that complement the initial Appropriated Areas for Aquaculture (AAA) and licenses. Then groups of licenses (AMA’s or neighbourhoods) were established and also macro zones.
Presently an integrated spatial management system is in place which in spite of its weaknesses has contributed to coordinate efforts to control diseases, improve efficacy of measures in front of a sanitary risk and create better conditions for environmental/ sanitary recovery of the macro zone. Notwithstanding, improvements have to be done to move closer to an ecosystem approach to aquaculture, principally emphasizing carrying capacity studies and tools, interaction with communities and other sectors and also increasing participation and developing an incentives regime. Highest contribution of the AMA’s system has been the increase in social capital in the industry and the development of highest levels of public-private interaction.