The Zapallar Artisanal Fishers Union celebrated the first anniversary of the Zapallar TURF-Reserve, a small protected marine area of 15 hectares located in the Isla Seca sector. The event turned into a true celebration for marine conservation and was attended by the enthusiastic participation of the local community.

The goal of this event was to involve people with the TURF-Reserve in order to continue raising awareness about the importance of conserving this protected area and its biodiversity, which is why the artisanal fishers made their boats available, so that attendees could get to know the TURF-Reserve from the water. Members of the Zapallar Diving School also participated, as well as kayakers and open water swimmers from different parts of the region.

“The activity went exactly as planned. The community became part of the event and we realized that children are interested in being told things about the sea. I have received very good reviews and people are asking us to continue working on this TURF-Reserve initiative, and not to leave it”, acknowledged Sergio Veas, president of the Zapallar Artisanal Fishers Union.

This TURF-Reserve is part of the program promoted by Capital Azul Foundation, which in alliance with fishers’ unions is dedicated to establishing non-extractive protection zones within the Territorial User Rights for Fisheries (TURF or AMERB, as abbreviated in Spanish). managed by artisanal fishers. A program that has managed to establish five of these TURF-Reserves in the Valparaíso region, and that in addition to Zapallar, includes La Polcura, Cachagua, Maitencillo and Ventanas.

“It was very encouraging to see the number of people who joined us on this anniversary, some even swimming, diving and kayaking, a lot of activity around the TURF-Reserve, which is what we are looking for, because to the extent that this small territory is being used respectfully, the community will make it more their own”, said Rodrigo Sánchez Grez, Executive Director of Capital Azul Foundation.

“After a year since the inauguration, in which we have been able to meet our goals, I think the most important thing is that the reserve has become part of the Zapallar community and, in addition, the network has been consolidated with other TURF-Reserves in the area”, said Stefan Gelcich, co-founder of Capital Azul and director of the SECOS Millennium Institute.

Learning about marine biodiversity

Environmental education is an important pillar within the model developed by Capital Azul. It is partly for this reason that those who attended the first anniversary of the Zapallar TURF-Reserve were able to learn about marine biodiversity thanks to the educational modules of The Nature Conservancy Chile and Aula de Mar, in addition to the knowledge delivered by Sergio Veas, owner of various marine treasures that captivated both children and adults.

The activity also included an exhibition of underwater photographs taken by the Capital Azul team during biodiversity monitoring in the TURF-Reserve, material that the Zapallar Artisanal Fishers Union will be able to continue using in future activities framed in this process of socialization of this marine protected area.

“For The Nature Conservancy’s Oceans team it is vital to work directly with local coastal communities, safeguarding together the sustainability of fisheries and marine conservation. That is why we believe it is fundamental to support the TURF-Reserves initiative, with the community and the educational opportunities that are generated around them,” commented Natalio Godoy, a scientist with The Nature Conservancy Chile’s Ocean Conservation Program.

“Throughout the year, the president of the union, Sergio Veas, received around 2,000 students in the cove, taking them on a guided tour and explaining the different species that inhabit the TURF-Reserve. This has been enriching both for the students and for the fishers themselves, who feel that today they are not alone in this work, and that the community sees them with different eyes, understanding that they are the leaders of marine conservation within the municipality. The TURF-Reserve, as time goes by and people continue to get involved, can be a great bonding tool for the community”, said Rodrigo Sánchez Grez, Executive Director of Capital Azul.