On a cold and overcast morning, an enthusiastic group of about 30 boys and girls from the second and third grade of the Maitencillo School arrived at the local cove to participate in a celebration for the protection of the environment: the official inauguration of the Maitencillo TURF-Reserve.
More than five years have passed since this co-creation process began, surged from an alliance between the Maitencillo Artisanal Fishers Union and Capital Azul Foundation. The goal was to establish a small protected marine area located within the Territorial User Rights for Fisheries (TURF or AMERB, as abbreviated in Spanish) managed by the artisanal fishers to preserve and regenerate the ecosystem and its biodiversity.
With an extension of 15 hectares and placed right in front of La Caleta beach, this conservation (no-extraction) area experienced a milestone in its socialization process by beginning its opening stage to the community, seeking to actively involve them with the TURF-Reserve.
The children began a tour of the cove guided by local fishers and members of Capital Azul, and then visited some ponds with some of the most emblematic inhabitants of the TURF-Reserve: Chilean abalones, limpets, sea urchins, sea snails and sea stars. The lessons learned from the experience were then reflected on paper through an artistic exercise that allowed them to give free rein to all of their creativity, each one going home with educational material and with the task of continuing to spread the word among their family and friends about the importance of the TURF-Reserve and the care of nature.
“It’s highly symbolic that the first people, beyond the fisher’s union, who came to learn about the TURF-Reserve are the kids from the Maitencillo school. This is intended to be an area of protection for future generations, where they can enjoy the restored ecosystems, as they were before, and as this happens and these children take over, things that enrich the community around the TURF-Reserve will continue to happen around the marine refuge, which can become a nucleus of community unity, where everyone feels represented”, explained Rodrigo Sánchez Grez, Executive Director of Capital Azul Foundation.
Isabel Obregón, head of the Technical Pedagogical Unit (UTP) of the Maitencillo School, added that “it was a very entertaining and attractive and different experience for the children, allowing us to have an outdoor educational activity in which we could enjoy the outdoors and share with the community. In addition, they were able to see the biodiversity they have right here in the area where they study. The children express themselves through drawings, so the fact that they were able to represent what they liked the most through art will undoubtedly be very significant for them”.
It’s highly symbolic that the first people, beyond the fisher’s union, who came to learn about the TURF-Reserve are the kids from the Maitencillo school. This is intended to be an area of protection for future generations, where they can enjoy the restored ecosystems, as they were before.
Rodrigo Sánchez Grez
Executive Director of Capital Azul Foundation
Time to regenerate ecosystems
The official inauguration event of the Maitencillo TURF-Reserve continued in the afternoon with an open dialogue with the participation of members of the Maitencillo Artisanal Fishers Union, some peers from other unions where TURF-Reserves have also been established, authorities, members of the Capital Azul Foundation and other local organizations. It all ended with a seafood stew in a pleasant atmosphere with a vision to continue working collaboratively for marine conservation and the resilience of coastal communities.
Ricardo Silva, president of the local union, appreciated the work that has been carried out in alliance with Capital Azul, and regretted not having been able to implement this model, which combines use and conservation in the same system, earlier.
“We are in the central zone of Chile, perhaps where the ecosystems are most depredated, so if we do not take care of the species in the sea, they will disappear, as happened here: in the 1980s, 500,000 clams were harvested every day, and nobody thought of setting a quota. The consequence is that today there are no clams,” said the leader, who has witnessed the benefits that the TURF-Reserve is beginning to deliver in terms of productivity. “We ourselves are impressed with the change that has occurred by letting a place quiet and calm. The resilience of the ecosystems is impressive”, he added.
Stefan Gelcich, co-founder of Capital Azul Foundation and director of the SECOS Millennium Institute, agrees with Silva and explains that “after a long learning process with leaders of artisanal fishing, we can see through records that there has been a very important response from commercial and non-commercial marine resources in the TURF-Reserve”.
“When we started working with TURF-Reserves, the relationship was mainly between artisanal fishing, biodiversity, scientists and Capital Azul Foundation. But currently we are in a second derivative, in which the Maitencillo TURF-Reserve is already part of the community. The mayor and councilors gave us their support; the children are going to know about it at their school activities; and different civil society organizations have also gotten involved. After several years, everything begins to spread and I think that is the challenge that comes now: how to make the TURF-Reserve a part of the local development of the communities”, added the also academic from the Catholic University.
For this reason, the leader of the artisanal fishers of Maitencillo emphasized that they will continue to work with educational establishments in the area to strengthen the work they are carrying out for marine conservation.
“If you don’t educate nor create culture, it is impossible for people to become aware. This is why it is so important to start from the bottom with the kids. I find it spectacular that the TURF-Reserve commences the stage of being open to the community”, stated Silva.
We ourselves are impressed with the change that has occurred by letting a place quiet and calm. The resilience of the ecosystems is impressive.
Ricardo Silva
President of the Maitencillo Artisanal Fishers Union
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