• Overfishing of the black sea urchin’s native predators has allowed this species to grow without natural checks, threatening the balance of marine ecosystems along the coast of central Chile.
• Artisanal fishers in the Ventanas and Zapallar coves have managed to curb the population growth of this species and recover marine biodiversity.
• They have done so by protecting their TURF-Reserves, areas they themselves have declared off-limits to fishing so that marine life can recover.
• The decline of the black sea urchin has allowed kelp to return, followed by a large-scale return of fish, mollusks and macroinvertebrates that enrich local biodiversity.

READ MORE HERE (article in Spanish).