Red tide crisis in Chiloé

It affected thousands of artisanal fishermen on the Chiloé Island —in addition to other communes such as Calbuco, Maullín and Puerto Montt (the regional capital) because they were prohibited from extracting marine resources due to widespread contamination with paralytic shellfish poison (PSP).

The blockades and protests would end after all the mobilized communes reached agreements with the Government on economic aid,[1][2] but the ban on extracting resources would remain in place for several months in various areas of the region, due to the presence of toxins.

Studies suggest that ocean currents likely carried the eutrophic waters from decomposing fish toward Chiloé’s shores, potentially intensifying the algal bloom during the second pulse of the red tide[3].

Addressing these injustices requires stricter policies on aquaculture waste disposal[5], more accountability for industry actors, government, and stronger protections for local fishing communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.

The toxic bloom shut down up to 500 km of shellfish harvesting[6], while 6,000 divers and fishermen lost their income, on top of 4,500 salmon industry workers already dismissed after the brown tide[7].