From a Brown to a Blue Economy in Chile

The Chilean brown economy continues to expand, without specific definition of sustainable limits or how to transition to an ecologically balanced future. Basing definition of the blue economy on the proposed constitution, this article show how the coastal marine clusters across Chile can transform through marine democracy. It first reviews the extent of viability, ecological sustainability, equity, and marine democracy across 42 cases of mining and coastal refinery projects, port developments, aquaculture, factory contamination, wind farms, coal and property development. Secondly, deeper analysis develops through a series of regional case studies. Starting with an industrial fish factory cluster in Arica, followed by a coastal zone impacted by mining in Chañaral, and fjord aquaculture contestation in Puyuhapi. it reviews how different groups of fishers, NGOs and citizen scientists, are coming together to challenge these issues. Using semi structured interviews, and participatory GIS focus groups, it shows the same issues repeat, and how a new participatory marine democratic system might evolve, to transition to the blue economy. Analysis of the patterns of the constellation of ecological impacts, justice issues and their economic sustainability follows. How regions can develop participatory plans through marine democracy, whilst defining which clusters can evolve sustainably, for equitable regional benefits and regrowthism are envisioned.