Fish as feed inputs for aquaculture: practices, sustainability and implications

Status and trends on the use of small pelagic fish species in Chile 299

with the Chilean Fisheries Subsecretary. The Fishing Zone Councils contribute to
the decentralization of the administrative measures adopted by the national authority
and promote the participation of regional agents in activities related to fisheries and
aquaculture. The five zones are as follows:
Zone 1 Regions I and II (Tarapacá and Antofagasta)
Zone 2 Regions III and IV (Atacama and Coquimbo)
Zone 3 Formed by a wide area extending from Regions V to IX (Valparaiso
to Araucania)
and oceanic islands
Zone 4 Regions X
and XI (Los Lagos and
Aysen)
Zone 5 XII Region
(Magallanes) and Chilean
Antarctica
From the point of view
of the fishing industry and
the types of fishing activity
conducted, Chile is divided
into three main zones: North
Chile, South Chile and
Austral Chile.

• North Chile. This zone
  is located from Regions
  I to IV (from Tarapacá to
  Coquimbo), where the
  main pelagic reduction
  fisheries are conducted.
  This zone is essentially
  a fishmeal producing
  area, with an annual
  production of around
  220 thousand tonnes.


• South Chile. This is
  the main fishing zone
  of Chile and extends
  from Region V to X
  (Valparaiso to Los
  Lagos). In this zone,
  most products are
  produced in large-
  scale processing plants.
  The main processed
  products are frozen
  jack mackerel and South
  Pacific hake (Merluccius
  gayi gayi), with annual
  volumes surpassing
  250 thousand tonnes.
  Around 550 thousand
  tonnes of fishmeal are
  produced annually in
  this zone.

Medium-size boats, 80 to 100 tonnes, used for seine fishing of pelagic

species in Region VIII (Bio-Bio, Chile). This fishing method is known in Chile

as “pesca de boliche”.

Medium-size boats, used for seine fishing in Bio-Bio, Chile

Courtesy of Adrian Hernandez

Fishmeal and fish oil processing factory in the city of Talcahuano, Region

VIII, (Bio-Bio, Chile). The major fishing industries are located in this region

and process 70 percent of the pelagic species caught in Chile.

Fishmeal and fish oil processing factory in Talcahuano, Chile

Courtesy of Adrian Hernandez