Subpesca will work to strengthen aquaculture training in educational institutions in the country.

The focus will be to evaluate, diagnose and propose improvements to technical-professional schools (TP) that have a specialization in aquaculture, within the framework of the update of the Small Scale Aquaculture Regulation (APE).

Aware of the importance of technical and professional high schools for the development of a more sustainable, diversified aquaculture with greater capacities in human resources matters - especially in the area of Small Scale Aquaculture (APE) - the Subsecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) will carry out the development of a diagnosis and proposals for the strengthening of the programs in educational institutions that they teach the aquaculture specialty.

In this context, from the Undersecretariat it is recognized as crucial to advance in this matter, since all the information collected will serve as input when modifying the Small Scale Aquaculture Regulation (APE) (D.S. MINECON N° 45 of 2021).

This includes exploring the model of school cooperatives, with emphasis on sustainability and territorial relevance. Likewise, establish the role of technical-professional high schools that have a specialization in aquaculture in the typification of Small-Scale Aquaculturist. All these themes are part of the main requests received by Subpesca from the APE sector.

This initiative will be developed in conjunction with the Aquaculture Technology Innovation Center, AquaPacífico, who won the national public tender launched from the Undersecretariat. The project will be carried out within a period of eight months, and will include field visits, information gathering and design of practical tools for the establishments.

Among the specific objectives of the project is to propose improvements in management models and curricular frameworks, to strengthen technical-professional high schools that offer aquaculture; as well as to design and implement a training program for student cooperatives for academics and students of these educational institutions with aquaculture training.

In Chile, aquaculture is an activity that has developed rapidly over the last decade, with harvests of 1.419 million tonnes in 2024 and exports generating returns of US $6.915 billion, corresponding to an exported volume of 903.5 thousand tonnes. In this regard, the main species cultivated in our country are salmon, mussels, pelillo, oysters and abalones, among others.