The Mapuche Williche Pu Wapi community of the islands of Guaitecas and Huichas is awaiting the resolution of its request for a Coastal Marine Space of Native Peoples (ECMPO), a process that began in 2016. This request is framed within of the protocol established by law for this type of assignment, such as verification that the requested spaces are not under the administration of any private entity and that the activities to be carried out are customary and ancestral practices of the communities that request it. Currently the process is in the last stage.
For the communities of the Guaitecas and Huichas islands, the request represents the possibility of establishing a regulated relationship with all actors of the sea: artisanal fishermen, inhabitants, native peoples, fishing, aquaculture and salmon industry, tourism sector, etc.
Until now, they denounce that even though the communities are surrounded by half of the salmon industry’s concessions, the success of the industry has not reached the population, who still do not have sewage, or drinking water, poor electrical service, and problems constant connectivity. What’s more, the Huichas Islands – they maintain – have only had a high school for less than a year.
The communities that request the ECMPO remember that in each of the international forums where climate change has been addressed from different prisms and where Chile has been recognized as a leader in ocean conservation, “it has been agreed that nature-based solutions and the ancestral practices of indigenous communities are some of the best ways to confront the climate emergency.” As is known, Chile is one of the most vulnerable countries to its effects. “If we focus on the protection and conservation of Patagonia, we will be able to find in it some of the answers that not only the country, but the planet, needs to survive this crisis,” they say in a statement.
Daniel Caniullán, lonko and spokesperson for both communities, indicates that “the Pu Wapi community has always had a close relationship with nature, understanding that, without it, we do not exist. Therefore, our intention is to develop economic activities that allow us to subsist in harmony with the environment, that are sustainable so as not to deplete marine or terrestrial resources, that allow us to preserve our culture, and with which we can improve our living conditions in a geographical area that is unique, but also difficult and sacrificed to live. The Patagonian Sea is rich and if it is well managed, it is enough for everyone now and also for the future.”
Max Bello, international advisor for Mission Blue, maintains that “I have known Daniel Caniullán for years and I can attest that he is a man of the sea, and that is why he has always worked to keep Patagonia’s ocean as healthy as possible. When the ocean is well cared for, it provides space and opportunities for multiple economic activities to develop that benefit various social groups. But when it is overexploited, as has happened in the different places where salmon farming is developed, ecosystems disappear and with that they lose not only the species that inhabit the space, but also the different communities that depend on the ocean.”
Cristián Laborda, director in Chile of the Patagonia Azul Foundation, indicates “we are starting work with the Pu Wapi community on ways to conserve the kelp forests of Chilean Patagonia. During this time we have learned about the commitment they have with the sea and its different ways of life and their intention to work with it in a sustainable way, so that it benefits all those who live, work and depend on the ocean in some way.”
