Photo: Stockfile/FIS

Regional Milestone: Corfo's Mussel PER Celebrates a Decade of Boosting Mussel Farming

CHILE
Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 05:30 (GMT + 9)

Celebrating 10 years of productive, institutional, and promotional advancements for the mussel (chorito o mejillon) as an identity-defining superfood of the Los Lagos Region.

The Regional Strategic Program (PER) Chilean Mussel celebrated its 10-Year Milestone at Arena Puerto Montt, an event that brought together authorities, representatives from the mussel farming sector, and key value chain stakeholders to commemorate a decade of progress in productivity, governance, and the promotion of the mussel (chorito) in the Los Lagos Region.

The event highlighted fundamental achievements of the program, such as the mechanization for small producers, the implementation of Clean Production Agreements, aquaculture diversification, and various initiatives in innovation, sustainability, and circular economy.

Voices from the Sector and Authorities

During the opening ceremony, Regional Governor Alejandro Santana highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships over the past ten years, stating: “We are witnessing a successful program with a ten-year history, a decade marked by significant transformations in productivity and growth capacity. This is an activity that, as has been mentioned, has deep family and territorial roots; few industries manage to change the lives of communities thanks to the opportunities they generate and the vision they develop. This progress requires technical support, strengthened governance, and ongoing guidance.”

Regional Governor Alejandro Santana and the president of the Mejillón Regional Fisheries Plan (PER), Miguel Argel

The president of the Mussel Farming Strategic Program (PER Mejillón), mussel farmer Miguel Argel, emphasized that: “The Mussel Farming Strategic Program was not just a declaration of good intentions; it was a concrete roadmap that has allowed us to make significant progress. Thanks to the work carried out over these years, today we have something much more valuable: the experience of having worked together, the clarity of our strategic vision, and the conviction that we are capable of facing any challenge. The future of mussel farming in the Los Lagos Region depends on us maintaining this spirit of collaboration, integrating everyone, from the large exporter to the small producer in the most remote communities.”

Along the same lines, Corfo's regional director, Eduardo Arancibia, praised the impact of the PER (Regional Economic Program) this decade, stating: “We are talking about government policies promoted by Corfo that enable an industry to maintain a permanent public-private partnership, overcoming gaps in access to new markets, mechanization, adoption of circular economy processes, and waste reduction, in addition to promoting campaigns like the one carried out at the national level. Such a prominent product, so characteristic of our region, deserves the support of all sectors. In this sense, having the most representative actors from the entire supply chain at the same table has been key to ensuring that initiatives arise from the sector's own needs.”

The regional director of Corfo, Eduardo Arancibia, the Regional Secretary of Economy, Luis Cárdenas, and the executive director of AmiChile, Rodrigo Carrasco

For his part, the Regional Secretary of Economy, Luis Cárdenas, reinforced the strategic importance of the sector, stating: “We have seen a program that has been in place for 10 years and the development of a productive sector that we probably wouldn't have imagined, and the takeoff it has experienced. This has been evident in public policy, spanning one government after another, and that allows us to look to the future. In that sense, the significance of mussel farming development in our Los Lagos Region is fundamental, not only because of the progress achieved in technological development, employment, growth, and exports, but also because all of this demonstrates how, in a region like ours, we can continue to strengthen the development of aquaculture.”

AmiChile's Executive Director, Rodrigo Carrasco, projected the program's value into the future and concluded by saying: “I highly value this program. I am grateful that it exists because it has been a great contribution to the industry, especially for small producers, generating trust and a foundation for development. After 10 years of work, the results support that recognition and gratitude. The challenge now is to project it into the future. There are stakeholders who have put in a lot of effort to make this governance work, and that must continue. Today we are working on a corporation that brings together different associations, because mussel farming in Chile has diverse stakeholders who converge in governance spaces like the one being proposed. We see a very positive future and, once again, I thank everyone for everything that has been done.”

Recognitions for Mussel Farming Pillars

The ceremony paid tribute to those who have been cornerstones in the sector's development. Distinctions were given to the first presidents of the Mussel PER, Alberto Augsburger and Walter Kaiser, along with the presidents of trade associations and members of the Program's Executive Council:

• José Almonacid (Sindicato de Emprendedores de Llaguepe)

• Jorge Matamala (Asociación Gremial de Cultivadores de Moluscos de Calbuco)

• Elías Colivoro (Asociación Gremial de Mitilicultores de Quellón)

• Rodrigo Carrasco (AmiChile)

• Jorge Contreras (Federación de Pesca Artesanal de Hualaihué)

• René Vera (Asociación Gremial de Acuicultores de Queilén)

• Miguel Argel (Asociación Gremial Reloncaví Sur)

Pioneers such as Eduardo Ferrari and Eugenio Yokota were also recognized, along with Corfo executive, Hugo Escobar, and a posthumous tribute was paid to the renowned researcher Eduardo Bustos.

Promoting the Mussel in School Meals

A significant achievement was the promotion of mussel consumption in school meals, thanks to an agreement between Junaeb, Mussel PER, and AmiChile. This allowed the monthly inclusion of the mussel in the menus of the School Feeding Program (PAE).

Thanks were given to Karin Burgos (Junaeb PAE team) and former regional director Sarita Cárcamo for driving this initiative.

The pilot educational establishments that participated in 2026 were recognized: Escuela Melipulli, Colegio Patagonia Cordillera, and Liceo Comercial Miramar. The work of teacher and chef Jenniffer Alvarado in preparing the recipe book “Sabores Escolares” was highlighted.

Finally, the contribution of the Nutrition and Dietetics career at Universidad Santo Tomás, through its career director Caroline Yans, in training teachers and food handlers was acknowledged.

The event concluded with a call to strengthen mussel farming as a key sector for employment, innovation, and the region's productive identity. The end of this cycle makes way for a new stage focused on sustainability, added value, and the international projection of the Chilean mussel.

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