Goal: Improve the management of the offshore large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs) of Juan Fernández Archipelago and Desventuradas Islands, Rapa Nui and Motu Motiro Hiva, and Islas Diego Ramírez-Paso Drake – an area that cumulatively spans 1,436,878.7 km² – and put in place critical enabling conditions for the long-term management Chile’s entire national marine protected areas network

The Alliance is working to improve the management of Chile’s individual and broader network of marine protected areas (MPAs) through partnerships with the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Chile, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA), the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA), Oceana Chile, Organización Funcional Comunitaria Mar de Juan Fernandez,  Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), the Local Sea Council of Rapa Nui, Wildlife Conservation Society Chile (WCS Chile), Chilean Patagonia Project of Pew, Omora Foundation and Cape Horn International Center. 

As a whole, the waters surrounding the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas Islands, Rapa Nui and Moto Motiro Hiva, and Islas Diego Ramírez – Paso Drake are considered Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, marked by rich invertebrate and fish diversity, kelp forests, assemblage of birds, marine mammals, sharks and vibrant coral and sponge communities. Their waters also serve as crucial aggregation points for pelagic species and vital foraging areas for migratory marine life.  

While some of these areas boast a unique blend of tropical, subtropical, and temperate marine species due to their isolation and numerous surrounding seamounts, others like Islas Diego Ramirez – Paso Drake are located in the ecoregion of canals and fjords of Chile, where the surface water systems of the Magallanes Province and the deep waters of the Antarctic circumpolar current converge.

Chile has consolidated the protection of its marine biodiversity within 31 MPAs covering 1,497,350 km² (~43%) of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Most of this area is concentrated within the oceanic LSMPAs: Juan Fernández Archipelago and Desventuradas Islands, Rapa Nui and Motu Motiro Hiva, and Islas Diego Ramírez-Paso Drake.  

Over the past few years, Chile has gained worldwide recognition for its progress in establishing LSMPAs. The country now has the enormous opportunity and challenge of maintaining this momentum and upholding the designations with effective and durable management systems.

The Blue Nature Alliance’s engagement with partners in Chile is centered around two core priorities: putting in place the necessary building blocks to build strong, successful management of existing offshore LSMPAs and supporting critical enabling conditions on public policy and sustainable financing to ensure long-term management effectiveness.  

In 2023, the Alliance signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Chile, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA), and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) that underlines our mutual interest in improving the management of Chile’s MPAs and undertaking coordinated actions to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s marine resources.