Lessons from Chile's Artisanal Fishers and Small-Scale Aquaculture Farmers as they Confront Climate Change

The country has a high degree of vulnerability to climate change, and while many productive sectors face profoundly impacted conditions, artisanal fishers and small-scale fish farmers are among the most severely affected because of both their geographical locations and their economic status (IPCC, 2014; Cubillos Santander et al., 2021; FAO and CESSO, 2021). [...]actions that support and promote the adaptation of this sector are necessary to address climate change and other related issues (FAO, 2018). A total of 26 experimental initiatives to explore new adaptation practices in the pilot coves were conducted, including: (i) a novel proposal for a certification that indicates how prepared or adapted a cove is to the impacts of climate change; (ii) the identification of alternative ways to process bycatch; (iii) local production of value-added fishery products; (iv) development strategies for sustainable tourism to create complementary activities for artisanal fishers and small-scale farmers; and (v) experimental small-scale aquaculture of Chilean mussel, choro mussel, Japanese oyster and red seaweed, and the improvement of mussel seed collection with a view to exploring productive alternatives for coastal communities. The project implemented communication and training initiatives for more than 5 000 artisanal fishers, small-scale farmers and the general public, established a communication strategy that included efforts to contribute to new public policies, and published a vast amount of academic and informative material, including one policy brief; four regional reports (one from each cove) and one general technical report systematizing best practices and lessons learned; 32 monthly newsletters; 96 media appearances; a project brochure; a basic guide on climate change; a manual for an environmental monitoring system; a practical manual on climate change for artisanal fisheries and small-scale aquaculture in Chile, with a facilitator's guide; four special interest tourism strategies; five manuals on experimental aquaculture in management areas; five manuals for the elaboration of value-added fisheries and aquaculture products; and a children's game on climate change related to fisheries and aquaculture. Project activities provided the authorities and communities involved with the capacity and tools to face the transformation challenge required to adapt to future climate scenarios. [...]the project's design and intervention approach can be replicated in other