Fisheries Research Fund (FIP)
FIP was created by the General Law of Fisheries and Aquaculture in 1991. It is aimed at funding research, which is necessary to support the adoption of fisheries management measures and aquaculture activities.
Its funding comes from the budget allocated in the Fiscal Budget Law, along with other supports.
FIP is chaired by the Fisheries Research Council, which is constituted by the Undersecretary of Fisheries, the President of the National Oceanographic Committee, and six other professionals of the fishing sector.
Research Program
The research program is elaborated annually, considering the research needs of the fisheries and aquaculture area. The proposal of projects is carried out by the Zonal Councils and the National Fisheries Council. The Undersecretariat for Fisheries formulates the program, and the Fisheries Research Council prioritizes projects to be funded during the year.
At prioritizing the proposed projects, appropriateness, relevance, opportunity, continuity, extension, and costs are applied as general criteria.
The fisheries research is focused on the evaluation of the most important national fisheries, aiming at determining the exploitation status of hydrobiological resources and the involved fisheries, considering biological, fishing, economic, social, and environmental aspects.
Aquaculture research is focused on the research that makes it possible to determine the conditions necessary to carry out the farming of hydrobiological species, always keeping a balance with the ecosystem.
Between 1993 and 2007, 15 research programs were funded, reaching US$ 72 millions. The funds assigned during that period, were distributed among six research areas or subprograms.
Research Projects
The projects funded by FIP are based on the annual research program and are aimed at the study of the main fisheries, other relevant resources, and aquaculture. The funds are allocated through bidding; universities, research institutes, and consulting companies involved in the aquaculture and fisheries sector can apply.
Formulario de Inscripción para Evaluadores
The execution of projects carried out between 1993 and 2007 was assigned to 34 consultants, distributed between Arica and Punta Arenas. This has made it possible to reach FIP’s goals, and, at the same time, consolidate teams of specialists in different zones of the country.
Between 1993 and 2007, 505 research projects have been executed, which corresponds to 439 fishing and 66 aquaculture projects, focused on the study of the most relevant research lines.
Research Lines
a) Abundance and biomass estimates for the main fishing resources exploited in Chile.
b) Reproductive cycles, behavior, population dynamics, and stock units of the fishing resources subject to exploitation.
c) Fishing biological studies applied to the fisheries management.
d) Monitoring system of the bio-oceanographic variables with the highest impact in the fishing of pelagic resources in Chile’s northern and central-southern zones.
e) Analysis of the capture and fishing effort in the most relevant fisheries at a national level.
f) Plans for planning that allow the fisheries sustainability.
g) Development of new fisheries to diversify the fishing effort.
h) Abundance estimates for marine mammals that inhabit along the Chilean coastline.
i) Environmental and fishing studies.
j) Socioeconomic studies in fisheries.
Research Projects
a) Cadastre and analysis of disease risk that can affect the different farmed species; and, monitoring design and early warning of pathologies.
b) Environmental impact evaluation of the aquaculture activities.
c) Determining the load capacity in bays, lakes, and estuarine zones at a national level.
d) The gathering of basic information for the planning and management of aquaculture activities.
e) Socioeconomic studies in aquaculture.
n the qualification of proposals presented in the biddings and in the supervision and follow up of the ongoing projects, evaluators specialized in the aquaculture and fisheries sector participate, who are part of the FIP Evaluators Registry. So far, 327 professionals have participated in the proposals evaluation, and 184 professionals have participated in the evaluation of projects following up.
The final reports of FIP’s completed projects are public and available in its webpage, www.fip.cl.