CONTEXT

Nine of the Ecoregions extend into Chilean Threats territory: Atacama-Sechura Deserts, , • Salmon Production – Chile is a top world salmon Chilean , High Andean Lakes, Humboldt Current, producer, contributing with more than 30% of the Patagonian Southwest Atlantic, Patagonian Steppe, Rapa Nui, world production. Salmon farming can cause severe environmental and social impacts. HIGHLIGHT and Valdivian Temperate Rainforests / Juan Fernandez Islands. • Fishing – Chile is a major fishing country, 3% of global PRIORITY PLACE FOR CONSERVATION whitefish and 12.4% of global forage fish come from 2011 • Terrestrial Conservation – The Valdivian Temperate Chile. Sustainable stocks cannot be reached at the current Forests are the only temperate rainforests in exploitation level. and it is the second largest of the 5 major temperate forest • Pulp and Paper Production – Chile produces about 5.2 systems in the world. The forests support some of the million tons of pulp and paper, which represents 8% of the longest-lived and largest trees on earth. world pulp market and around 3% of all pulp production. • Marine Conservation – Exceptional oceanographic And causes widespread deforestation - each year 120,000

© EDWARD PARKER / WWF-CANON PARKER © EDWARD conditions cause high levels of productivity and biodiversity, hectares of native forest are cleared and about 80% of including unique species such as shallow cold water corals. Chile’s natural forests have been destroyed or degraded. • Freshwater Conservation – Chile possesses one of the Opportunities biggest fresh water reservoirs with a range of unique species • The development of Aquaculture Stewardship Council and characteristics. Standards for Salmon production can reduce negative social and environmental consequences of salmon aquaculture. • Key Species – Chile is an important feeding ground for priority species such as blue whales and is the home of the • Marine Stewardship Council certification can ensure that endemic Chilean dolphin. fisheries are sustainably managed. • Indigenous Communities – More than 80% of the • Forestry Stewardship Council certification can improve pulp indigenous population is Mapuche. 250.000 live in and paper production standards and reduce negative social rural zones of southern Chile, whose lifestyles and local and environmental consequences. CHILE economies depend of native forests and marine resources.

Voluntary certification standards are driving transformation towards estimate should be around 45,000 hectares,” certified Chilean fishery will be a catalyst conserving one of the planet’s most important ecoregions. says Rodrigo. “There is no previous for others to follow.” experience in Chile, and very few cases in the “Good fishing practices promoted by the world, of forest restoration at this scale.” It’s home to the planet’s second largest “If buyers in Europe and the US are MSC should minimize negative impacts like , where you’ll find demanding certification, then you have to discards and bycatch of marine mammals extraordinary tree species like alerces, be certified.” FISHING AND FISH FARMING and seabirds and destruction of cold water more than 4,000 years old, and monkey Similar developments are in progress in corals, and benefit the entire ecosystem.” puzzles (Araucaria Araucana), around FOREST RESTORATION Chile’s oceans and lakes “Around two-thirds WWF also leads the establishment WWF has worked in since the time of the dinosaurs. In its many of Chile’s fisheries are over-exploited, so we of Aquaculture Stewardship Council Chile for many decades. freshwater lakes, unique species thrive. The The demand for paper certified by the In 2002 WWF’s presence have extensively promoted MSC [Marine standards for sustainable salmon farming. rich coastal waters support more than 50 Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is was cemented with the Stewardship Council] certification as a In a key step to protecting the ecoregion, establishment of an office species of marine mammals, including the transforming Chile’s forestry sector. mechanism to achieve both environmentally Chilean companies are interested in for the Valdivian Ecoregion, Two companies dominate the pulp and in the city of Valdivia. world’s largest animal, the blue whale. sustainable and economically viable paper market in Chile: Arauco (the world’s applying these standards that reduce fisheries,” says Mauricio Galvez, WWF- panda.org/chile No wonder southern Chile is numbered second largest pulp producer) and CMPC the environmental impact of salmon Chile’s marine coordinator. among the places of global conservation (fourth largest). aquaculture, particularly by stopping importance where WWF concentrates its In June 2010, the Chilean hake fishery production in high conservation freshwater “Driven by market pressure, the big conservation efforts. This is urgently needed: became the first to enter the MSC lakes and marine areas. huge global demand has seen Chile’s forests companies have committed to FSC certification process and WWF-Chile is an “Standards like FSC, MSC and ASC mean and fisheries exploited at unsustainable certification,” says Rodrigo Catalán, who active stakeholder in this process. that the production of these commodities, levels, threatening unique habitats and leads WWF-Chile’s forest work. “It was an instead of being a threat to our ecoregion, species. Yet the very markets that have opportunity to start a dialogue with forest “For the fishery to be certified will require are becoming an opportunity for real driven this exploitation could hold the key to companies after a long period of conflict fundamental changes in the decision For more information, conservation in the field,” says Ricardo. “With three major conserving Chile’s natural treasures. and virtually no communication.” making process and strong commitment please visit commodities in one place, our in order to design and implement a In addition to working with WWF and ability to influence how and Chile supplies 8 per cent of the global pulp Chilean hake fishery recovery plan,” says others to bring their operations up to www.panda.org/markets where they are produced has and paper market, around 30 per cent of Mauricio. The discussions around over- FSC Standards, Arauco and CMPC have the potential to make or break salmon, 13 per cent of forage fish and 3 per exploited Chilean fisheries has helped put committed to restoring some previously Why we are here. other conservation efforts in cent of whitefish. Most of what it produces sustainability on the agenda in a whole forested areas that had been converted To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and southern Chile and in other is exported. new way. Government fishery officials are to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. to plantations. countries of Latin America.” “This means Chilean producers are now promoting MSC certification in other www.panda.org “Arauco and CMPC are now working on their Ricardo Bosshard sensitive to global markets,” says Ricardo fisheries. “We are in a very preliminary restoration plans for a total area that we © 1986 Panda symbol WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (Formerly known as World Wildlife Fund) director, WWF -Chile Bosshard, director at WWF-Chile. stage, but are confident the first MSC- ® “WWF” is a WWF Registered Trademark