In the coastal community of El Manzano in southern Chile, artisanal fishers are on the frontline of the climate crisis. Of the 400 people who live in this picturesque town, most rely on small-scale fishing or collecting shellfish and seaweed to make a living.
But dramatic environmental changes are forcing artisanal fishers and small-scale fish farmers along the country’s 6 400-kilometre coastline to modify or supplement their activities, as the availability and abundance of species are affected.
“We are seeing changes that we have never seen before - excessive rain, inexplicable things,” says Alejandro Naiman, a hake fisher and community leader in El Manzano.
Fishing is one of Chile’s major agricultural sectors. The country’s total catch from fisheries and aquaculture reached around 3.4 million tonnes in 2019 and more than 200 000 people depend directly or indirectly on the sector for their jobs.
Alejandro says he and other artisanal fishers were forced to try their hand at mussel fishing when they saw a fall in the numbers of hake, one of Chile’s most popular fish.
It’s perhaps not surprising as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the country’s coastal areas are experiencing increases in temperature, decreased rainfall, rising sea levels, acidification of seas and more frequent and extreme weather events.
“These changes threaten the future of fisheries and aquaculture in Chile because they affect the growth and reproduction of aquatic organisms and ultimately the abundance and distribution of marine resources,” says José Aguilar-Manjarrez, FAO Aquaculture Officer in Chile.