Undersecretariat grants macroalgae aquaculture concession in Estero Castro

The Undersecretariat for the Armed Forces, dependent on the Ministry of National Defense, granted an aquaculture concession for a portion of water and seabed of 3.97 hectares in Estero Castro, north of Punta Dequio, commune of Castro, province of Chiloé, Los Lagos Region. The decision is contained in resolution No. 521, dated June 26, 2026, published as an extract in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

The concession was requested through application No. PERT 204103096, dated April 20, 2024, and is individualized in plans No. 1275-26-S (a) and No. 1275-26-S (b), endorsed by the Maritime Authority of Castro.

Purpose and characteristics of the cultivation

The sole purpose of the concession is to carry out cultivation activities in the granted area, and it shall cover the installation and operation of a cultivation of hydrobiological resources belonging to the Macroalgae species group. The sector is delimited by six vertices whose geographical coordinates refer to SHOA Chart No. 7370, 1st edition of 1999 (Datum WGS-84):

• Vertex A: 42°29'52.88" S, 73°44'49.48" W
• Vertex B: 42°29'52.80" S, 73°44'41.95" W
• Vertex C: 42°30'00.81" S, 73°44'45.15" W
• Vertex D: 42°30'00.88" S, 73°44'51.82" W
• Vertex E: 42°29'54.46" S, 73°44'49.76" W
• Vertex F: 42°29'54.47" S, 73°44'50.52" W

Regulatory framework and procedure

The granting is framed within the aquaculture concession regime administered by the Undersecretariat for the Armed Forces, the competent body to authorize the use of portions of water and seabed in national assets for public use. The resolution was signed in Santiago, July 31, 2026, by order of the Undersecretary, and signed by Felipe Muñoz Aranda, Head of the Legal Division of the Undersecretariat for the Armed Forces.

The extract published in the official bulletin reports the administrative act and the location and surface area of the granted area, so that third parties may know the scope of the authorization.

Relevance for the area

The concession is located in a coastal sector of Chiloé island, where aquaculture activity coexists with artisanal fishing and the use of coastal edges by local communities. Being destined for the cultivation of macroalgae, the authorization is oriented toward a resource of growing productive and environmental interest, distinct from the salmon farming that dominates the region.

The publication in the Official Gazette provides publicity and legal certainty to the act, allowing interested parties to know the exact coordinates of the granted area and exercise the rights provided by law regarding the new aquaculture concession in Estero Castro.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,545, Tuesday, September 8, 2026, section II (Decrees, Resolutions, Requests, and Regulations of Particular Interest), page 1 (official reference: CVE 2867016).