Sergio Veas doesn’t hesitate to admit that, for years, shellfish divers like him acted as predators. In the Zapallar fishing cove, on the central coast of Chile, they harvested thousands of limpets, locos and sea urchins without ever thinking they might one day run out. Veas, who arrived at this cove very young and never wanted to leave once he got to know its sea, was determined to change course and protect it. Today, as a community leader, his goal is to convince his peers to join a mission: for divers and artisanal fishers to become the main stewards of the ecosystem.

“Setting aside 15 hectares (37 acres) for conservation was complicated at first, but with a bit of work we got the members to vote in favor of creating a TURF-Reserve,” says Veas, president of the Zapallar Cove Artisanal Fishers Union.

READ MORE HERE (article in Spanish).