The expansion of neoliberalization of fisheries in developing countries has been largely driven by political economic decisions. Artisanal fisheries and aquaculture have not been exempt from these privatization measures, the implementation of deregulation measures in the fisheries sector, and commoditization strategies oriented mainly to exports. However, little research has been done about these issues jointly in South America. Therefore, the adoption of these measures and the adaptation and transformation of artisanal fishermen to entrepreneurs were studied in the scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) fishery/aquaculture in Tongoy Bay, Chile. We use qualitative research and an analysis of historical archives to describe a series of political-economic changes, stages, and processes involved in the transformation of the sector. The analysis focuses on conflicts, resistance practices, and value regimes between fishers and farmers to explore the different moral economies at play. Our results show that (a) changes in moral economies are neither automatic nor unidirectional; (b) the State, through its economic policy, technological development institutions, and technology transfer actions, does not directly generate expected results; (c) artisanal fishers who have become entrepreneurs understand and justify competitiveness (or lack of it) because some are more entrepreneurial than others; (d) despite the adoption of neoliberal guidelines, aspects of a more traditional moral economy remain, such as the role of family units in the configuration of enterprises; and, finally, (e) artisanal fishers have moved from a traditional moral economy based on collective and historical rights to a neoliberal moral economy based on the individual and his or her capacity for self-improvement, entrepreneurship, and efficient work management.
The boom-and-bust trajectory of the Argopecten purpuratus industry in Chile shows the progression from resource extraction (fishing) to production (aquaculture). This paper analyses the effects of environmental, economic, and scientific–technological factors. The influence of each factor on scallop production in Chile was reviewed for the period between the 1980s and 2020. The evaluation of the effects allows the visualisation of the industry’s productive evolution and reveals the current challenges. The occurrence of abrupt environmental disturbances, commercialisation under imperfect market configurations, and public and private efforts in scientific and technological advances have acted favourably on scallop production. However, an industry mainly focused on prices and high production volumes did not devote much effort to develop low-cost climate-resilient technologies. Today, economic challenges must be addressed by helping to reduce production costs and add economic value to products and by-products. Our results show that the industry must focus on low-cost technologies, the use of renewable energy, and the circularity of its processes. The environment ensures the capture of natural seeds and their adaptation to climate change. These challenges must not lose sight of the emerging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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