Pilcomañi ECMPO: A New Conservation Space for the Community.
The Pilcomañi marine protected area has been established as one of the 29 ECMPO,s (Espacios Costeros Marinos de Pueblos Originarios/Marine Coastal Spaces for the Original Peoples). This area, encompassing 747.51 hectares of water and seabed, became the second ECMPO decreed in the Araucanía Region (Chile) and the only one located on the coastline of the Toltén commune.
The creation of this marine protected area was formalized through Exempt Decree No. 215 of the Ministry of Defense in August 2024, and its publication in the Official Gazette was in October of that same year. Furthermore, 15 other marine protected areas will soon receive their designation decrees, increasing the number of spaces dedicated to safeguarding customary use and protecting territories.
In 2025, CONADI (National Indigenous Development Corporation) held a public tender to support the development of the Management and Administration Plans for the Pilcomañi ECMPO, managed by the Basilio Caniuman Indigenous Community. Costa Humboldt was selected to provide technical support in this process, which was developed collaboratively between the community and our organization, thus strengthening participatory management with a strong territorial identity.
As a result of this collaborative work, more than 50 usage agreements were signed: 35 with Indigenous organizations, 3 with schools, 4 with neighborhood associations, 11 with fishing organizations, and other stakeholders in the territory. Various perspectives and areas focused on the marine conservation were incorporated, where each agreement represents a accord built on trust and dialogue for the proper care of the ECMPO.
The process of developing the Administration and Management Plans included 19 workshops, training sessions and meetings in 8 different locations, managing to involve more than 42 organizations in the territory.
A highlight was the workshop “ECMPO Pilcomañi: Strategies for the Implementation and Collaborative Management of the Coastal Territory,” held on November 12, 2025. Participants included representatives from municipal departments, SUBPESCA (Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture), SERNAPESCA (National Fisheries Service), CONADI (National Corporation for Indigenous Development), neighborhood associations, fishing organizations, council members, and school principals. During the workshop, the community’s history in the area was presented, its uses were discussed, and information about the ECMPO application process was shared.
The ECMPO Management and Administration Plans have already been submitted to SUBPESCA and are expected to be approved soon, allowing the community to sign the usage agreement that will formally establish them as administrators of the ECMPO.
This joint effort not only promotes the conservation of the Pilcomañi Protected Natural Area, but also strengthens the cultural and social identity of the community, ensuring a more sustainable and collaborative future with the more than 100 organizations recognized for working together in the territory
