– The project consists of cultivating algae in Blumar’s farming centers in the region, benefiting communities and marine ecosystems.
“Blumar is testing innovative approaches aimed at strengthening the resilience of its supply, such as the use of seaweed to regenerate nutrients in its aquaculture farms”. Representatives from Walmart concluded with these words the visit that various institutions recently made to Blumar’s farming centers in Aysén, as part of a public-private initiative that seeks to provide economic benefits to communities and ecological benefits to the ecosystem.
Walmart’s Senior Director of Innovative Procurement, Julie Zorb, and the company’s Director of Fresh Products Procurement Group, Andrew Lindstrom, noted that “there is much we can learn from one another, and trips like this help us collaborate and reach solutions together”.
The initiative, in which Blumar, Walmart, Universidad de Los Lagos, and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) participate together, consists of cultivating algae in Blumar’s farming centers in Aysén, seeking to contribute to the regeneration of marine ecosystems. This is done through the cultivation of kelp, a species of algae of great ecological and commercial importance.
The project will also collect data in situ and continuously to evaluate the potential benefits that algae cultivation could offer to the ecosystems of southern Chile, measuring the algae’s capacity to absorb nutrients and evaluating the impact on water quality. With this, it aims to promote research and development of technologies for increasingly sustainable aquaculture.
“As researchers, it allows us to take measurements in real conditions, through two demonstrative crops installed in the Aysén Region. With that information we will be able to determine the real capacity that kelp has to remove these elements from the system”, mentioned researcher from Universidad de Los Lagos, Carolina Camus.
“In parallel, the aim is to develop a vision and roadmap for a shared algae aquaculture industry among the actors that comprise it, to reach consensus on the steps we must take to achieve its development in the country”, she added.
On the other hand, the project also seeks to generate new alliances with local communities, which through the production and commercialization of algae can access new sources of income.
The Director of Climate and Strategic Initiatives, Global Aquaculture Team of TNC, Sally Mcgee, valued that the initiative will allow “people to expand their range of business to include algae aquaculture and also improve water quality around salmon aquaculture”.
The Commercial Manager of Blumar Salmon, Daniel Montoya, highlighted that “this collaboration is really fundamental to address the challenges our activity faces and our relationship with our neighbors and communities. We were able to see on the ground everything we have advanced, and learn lessons for future projects”.
“The development of markets must be in balance with social developments in the areas where we operate, and also taking care of the ecosystem where we are working”, he affirmed.
