Convergences and divergences in stakeholders’ perceptions regarding the impacts of the aquaculture industry: The case of the mussel industry in Los Lagos Region, Chile

The rapid expansion of production in the aquaculture sector could generate various impacts on nearby communities, creating concerns among key stakeholders regarding its consequences in the domains of health, environment, and economic wellbeing. This paper identifies and analyzes stakeholders’ perceptions regarding the impacts of the mussel industry in Los Lagos Region, Chile. Special attention is devoted to identifying convergence and divergence between expert knowledge and stakeholders’ perceptions in the territory in the dimensions of interest. Information on stakeholders’ perceptions was gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups targeting individuals in governmental, scientific, productive, and community spheres. The results evidence a negative perception of the industry, which is shared by all actors in response to waste management problems, to whom this is also perceived as a sanitary problem with potential negative effects on individuals’ health. Although scientists, government officials, and producers recognize the positive impacts of the industry in the form of ecological benefits, this does not seem to influence community perceptions, mainly due to a lack of knowledge. In the socio-economic domain, employment generation by the industry strongly influences a positive perception of the sector. Due to ongoing automation processes, this is less relevant for large-scale producers. Finally, small-scale producers and community representatives perceive an unequal distribution of the benefits of the sector, which could drive negative perceptions of the industry.