The seminar “Future of the Sea: Proposals from Chilean Coasts” took place last Thursday as part of Congreso Futuro 2026. The event brought together government officials, experts, and key stakeholders to discuss the strategic role of algae and aquaculture in Chile’s productive development towards 2050.
Álvaro García, Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, and Energy, opened the seminar. Julio Salas, Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, also participated on behalf of the fisheries sector.
The seminar aimed to promote sustainable development and strengthen innovation and governance. It focused on coastal communities and central topics such as aquaculture diversification, innovation, financing, and maritime space protection.
During his remarks, Minister García stated: “Chile has in its native algae a strategic asset for the country’s development. This seminar demonstrates that the blue bioeconomy is not just a vision for the future but a concrete opportunity to create jobs, attract investment, and diversify our productive matrix. We want innovation, science, and coastal communities to move forward together so that our country becomes a global benchmark in sustainable aquaculture in the coming decades.”
Undersecretary Salas highlighted the significance of recent legislative changes: “The Bentonic Law, approved under the current administration, marks a paradigm shift for small-scale aquaculture and places this activity at the center of our productive agenda. For an event like Congreso Futuro that looks toward 2050, it is essential to build consensus among civil society, the scientific community, and the State on development approaches that Chile needs,” he said. He added: “Algae cultivation is a unique opportunity for our country, but our potential is much greater than what we are currently exploiting. That is why we must define precisely what we want to do with our algae meadows, where we will direct that production, and who will be our strategic partners in this development.”
The seminar was organized by Fundación Encuentros del Futuro, Congreso Futuro, National Congress (Senate, Chamber of Deputies and Library), World Bank Group, NGO Oceana, Subpesca (Undersecretariat for Fisheries), and the Ministry of Economy.
A section dedicated to algae at Congreso Futuro included presentations by Karin Silva from the Division of Fisheries Administration and Sergio Mesa from Subpesca’s Aquaculture Division. They discussed current conditions as well as existing gaps and main challenges regarding this resource for Chile’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
Karin Silva noted: “America dominates wild harvests of algae from natural banks—led by Chile—which contributes 42% of this production worldwide. All continents use both strategies: harvesting from natural banks and cultivation. However, global trends show we must move toward aquaculture for these resources.” She further explained that one major challenge is updating regulations with a long-term perspective up to 2050 in order to achieve “sustainable aquaculture that is diversified and innovative under a competitive development model—one that is inclusive and resilient while committed to environmental protection with an ecosystem-based approach.”
Sergio Mesa participated in a panel titled “Systemic Perspective: An Integral View on Our Sea’s Potential.” He pointed out rapid growth over four decades: “We are the world’s leading exporters of mussels and second-largest producers of salmon.” He attributed this position largely to specialized human capital as well as collaboration among researchers and professionals within the sector. Mesa emphasized inter-institutional cooperation by stating: “Chilean institutions include Subpesca (Fisheries Undersecretariat), Sernapesca (National Fisheries Service), Indespa (Institute for Small-Scale Fishing) and IFOP (Fisheries Research Institute)—four organizations that have paved—and will continue paving—the way for future aquaculture development.”
