ABSTRACT
Due to high extraction rates in the 20th century
sea resources have become almost non-renew-
able. Industrial fishing is a major cause of
resource depletion whereas small-scale fisheries
have been seen as less threatening for the eco-
system. Nevertheless, through the process of
economic globalization, also small-scale artisa-
nal fisheries have been incorporated into the
international market as a result of the demand
for high value commodities. This has led to
over-harvesting resulting in depletion of coastal
marine resources, showing the interconnection
between consumption in high-income countries
and production in low-income countries. The
implication of this relationship resource exhaus-
tion. The Chilean experience with the Conchole-
pas concholepas (Loco) illustrates how Chile’s
integration into the global market under the
implementation of a neo-liberal policy led
to a significant increase in artisanal fishing
activities during the middle 1970s showing,
after a short and intensive export period,
abrupt harvest falls in the early 1980s. Loco, a
species indigenous to the Chilean and southern
Peruvian coast, is not alone in being threatened
due to export demand. In response to globali-
zation and market demand of fish, Chile’s
administration adapted and modernized its
institutions, fishing law and regulations.
Although preponderance has been given to
the economic interest of industrial fishing and
international capital, there has also been a
concern for artisanal fishing. In spite of its
rudimentary character, this sector increased its
importance bringing considerable export reven-
ues to the state and to exporting firms. Benthic
resources, exploited exclusively by the small-
scale artisanal fishing sector, show higher
export profits in comparison to those produced
by the large-scale fishery sector (Castilla and
