2006 Volume 46 Issue 2 Pages 183-199
Management and Exploitation Area (AME) for Benthic Resources is the most innovative management tool in Chilean fisheries (Bernal, 1999) inspired by the CBFM concept. With good results in the pioneer regions, AME has begun to expand to all over the country. However, impact of regional status on AME is not investigated much. In particular, it is recognized that region 10th has unique characteristics that may affect implementation of AME. Considering these unique characteristics of the Region 10th, this study set objectives as: a) to determine strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Region 10th for implementing AME, b) to clarify perception and concerns of users to develop AME and c) to identify elements presents in the fishers’ organizations that influence the implementation of AME. One hundred fifteen (115) coastal villages in Region 10th were surveyed using key informant interview. SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) and Spearman bivariate correlation were used for analysis.
This region is under favorable conditions for developing benthic fishery. It constitutes a major producer of benthic resources of the country with a large number of benthic resource’s users. A weakness of this region is that, a large number of fishers’ organizations located in the same fishing ground which have been causing problems to allocate areas available for AME. AME usually is located next to the fishing villages. But in this case, it is relocated in different positions away from the aggregated fishing villages that increasing and stabilizing of marketing conditions. Lack of appropriate governmental support at the beginning of the projects is a threat of this region. Main concerns of beneficiaries in implementing AME are: cost of surveillance, improve marketing activities and illegal capture. Key factors for implementing AME are: effective exclusion of the areas, stabilization and improving of marketing, training and empowering communities.
