The XIII edition of the fair grew by 37%, brought together 550 exhibitors from 34 countries and counted on the unprecedented participation of the President of the Republic, consolidating Chile as a world leader in aquaculture.

With a historical balance in terms of attendance, international representation and institutional support, Aquasur 2026, organized by Fisa, part of GL events Chile, closed its doors with the highest attendance in its history.

The XIII edition of the event brought together 30,959 visitors, who were able to get close to the solutions and innovations of 550 exhibitors from 34 countries. All of them spread along and across the width of eight pavilions in a space of 20 thousand m2, a true milestone for the sector.

This was undoubtedly the most important version in the history of Aquasur. We reached 30,959 visits, 37% more than in the previous edition in which we gathered 22,631 attendees. All this, along with a high level of participation and quality in content,” said Francisco Sotomayor, CEO of GL events Chile and executive director of Fisa.

“The presence of H.E. the President of the Republic at the inauguration marks a milestone for the fair and gives an account of the relevance of aquaculture to the country today. We brought together 550 companies from 34 countries, together with an International Congress that addressed the main challenges and opportunities of industry. We are very happy and our commitment is to continue strengthening this space, projecting Aquasur as the great platform of the aquaculture industry, connecting Chile with the world and accompanying the future development of the sector,” Sotomayor added.

For the first time, in its 13 editions, Aquasur 2026 was attended by the President of the Republic, José Antonio Kast, and former President Eduardo Frei at its inauguration. In his address, President Kast said “I want to thank Aquasur for this meeting” and extended his appreciation to all those who made this new edition of the fair possible. “As the governor of Los Lagos said, and so did Francisco (Sotomayor), 40 years ago no one would have dreamed of the development of the salmon industry in Chile,” he added. 

Kast also highlighted the impact that the salmon industry has on the generation of female employment in the Los Lagos Region, underlining how many women have managed to advance their families thanks to their work at the processing plants in the area.

Ximena Lincolao, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, closed the International Congress Aquasur 2026, and took the time to tour the fair visiting the different stands of start-ups and companies linked to innovation and technology.

“We have had the opportunity to see innovation in everything that has to do with data analysis, health under the ocean. We have seen very interesting things, such as the combination of robotics, hardware and software, that have transformed the work into aquaculture. Aquasur is a world-class fair,” he said.

Institutional support

Aquasur 2026 had several authorities at its inaugural ceremony. Alejandro Santana, regional governor of Los Lagos and honorary president of Aquasur 2026, celebrated the advances of the fair. “When you start to see the statistics, the growth, more than 500 stands and the countries that are visiting this event, it is not the product of the casuística. It is the product of a good job and of several elements that allow us to carry this out,” he said.

Also present were the mayors of Rodrigo Wainraihgt of Puerto Montt; and Tomás Gárate of Puerto Varas; to the capital of Los Lagos came Antonio Walker, president of the National Society of Agriculture (SNA) and director of Fisa, also ambassadors of countries such as the United States, Norway, France, Denmark and Japan; leaders of the world of aquaculture, industry entrepreneurs, workers and families of the great aquaculture industry of the country, the second most exported product from Chile. All of them, in addition to Chilean and foreign media.

Aquasur was also a contribution to knowledge and a showcase for the avant-garde aquaculture. The International Congress had 6 panel discussions, and 57 high-level rapporteurs that included talks by scientists from the FDA, FAO, or the Director General of Aquaculture of the Norwegian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Fisheries, plus other researchers from Chilean and foreign universities. 

The event was also the epicenter of other milestones for Chilean aquaculture. There, for example, was the first session of the Salmon Plan 2050, a technical and political road map for the sustainability of aquaculture, environmental protection and social welfare in the regions of Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes.  

This project is promoted by the mayor of Puerto Montt, Rodrigo Wainraihgt, and to this first session were invited former President Eduardo Frei and the Undersecretary of Fisheries, Osvaldo Urrutia. 

The fair also featured other satellite events from Aquasur. On Tuesday night, Aquasur's Protocol Dinner was held in the halls of the Radisson Hotel in Puerto Varas, to which authorities, ambassadors and leaders of the aquaculture industry were invited. On Wednesday, meanwhile, the Aquasur Night was held, a day of recreation and networking that summoned 600 people in the Centro de Vinculación Ciudad Puerto Empormontt.    

Thus, with unprecedented figures, international leadership and a focus on sustainability and innovation, Aquasur 2026 positioned itself as a meeting point where Chile reaffirmed its position as a world leader in aquaculture and compromised its course towards the next challenges of the sector.