Enhancing Bio-Cultural Management in Indigenous Marine Areas in Chile

This article deepens the marine democracy approach and understanding of bio-cultural conservation through the establishment of Indigenous Marine Areas (IMA) in Chile. While ecological conservation management has failed due to top-down approaches, this research aims to show how the establishment of Indigenous Marine Areas (IMA) has allowed Indigenous communities in Chile safeguard their customary uses and bio-cultural management. It asks how the IMA policy can evolve to make concrete reference to the protection of bio-cultural diversity and ecological health. Based on in-depth analysis of 3 detailed case studies a review of 10 decreed IMAs, it discusses how IMAs are spatially prioritising the need to evolve to protect habitats and species from different threats. The research develops the marine democracy approach including participatory GIS and semi structured interviews to elicit local ecological knowledge (LEK) and values. These examine and support IMA development of marine conservation strategies to conserve biodiversity and manage fisheries and aquaculture. The paper concludes by recognizing that the network of IMAs can allow for greater support in monitoring the health of marine ecosystems, encouraging the protection of marine ecosystems and empowerment of Indigenous communities.