Six Lessons from Blue Horizons: What Santiago Taught Us About the Future of the Blue Economy

On April 15^th, the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) brought together ministers, industry leaders, NGOs, scientists and community representatives in Santiago, Chile, for Blue Horizons: Ocean and Prosperity. This was the second event in GSI’s global series, following ‘Resilient Food Futures’ in Oslo in June 2025. 

Our goal for Santiago was specific: move the conversation beyond ocean ambition to the practical, measurable pathways that turn a blue economy into a source of shared prosperity – for ecosystems, economies and communities. 

What unfolded across the day was exactly the type of cross-sector dialogue GSI was founded to enable: different perspectives, sometimes uncomfortable disagreements, but a common desire to move a sector forward. 

Watch GSI’s highlight reel for an inside look at the event 

Why Chile?

Chile is where many of the salmon industry's opportunities and tensions live in concentrated form. It is now the world's second-largest salmon-producing region after Norway, and farmed salmon is the country's second-largest export and a major economic engine for southern Chile, particularly across the Los Lagos and Aysén regions. Following recent elections, there is now real political momentum around how to modernize the sector responsibly - across government, industry and civil society. Industry aside, Chile is also a leader in ocean stewardship - protecting over 30% of its coastal waters. As a live case study for how a blue economy is built through genuine dialogue between government, industry, science and coastal communities, what happens in Chile next will have ripple effects for blue economies around the world.

Here are six takeaways from the event – reinforcing a clear sense of optimism around where the sector is going next.

1. Ocean Protection and economic growth are allies, not opposites

Blue horizons opened with a keynote from José María Figueres Olsen, former President of Costa Rica, whose decades of work spanning political leadership and environmental advocacy set the tone for the room.

• The ocean produces more than half the oxygen we breathe
• Over three billion people rely on it as a primary protein source
• It underpins global trade, climate regulation and biodiversity

Figueres made the point that the world is still defining what the blue economy actually means -and that this definition will determine everything. Get it right, and the ocean becomes a source of shared prosperity in a world that needs more protein, healthier diets and a lower environmental footprint. Get it wrong, and we miss one of the biggest opportunities of our generation. The regions moving forward are those that no longer see growth and sustainability as trade-offs, and instead, as Figueres highlighted, acknowledge “without sustainability, there is no growth”.

2. Salmon is a strategic asset, not a commodity

In a world heading towards 10 billion people that need more protein, healthier diets and a lower carbon footprint, farmed salmon sits at the intersection of climate-resilient food production, regional prosperity and global protein demand. Treated as a strategic asset (in line with the $6.55 million it brings in to Chile each year)– and if it is matched by the public policy, science and investment it deserves – it can become the platform for the next economy, not just a product line. 

Reinforcing this point, former senator and representative of the Future Congress, Guido Girardi, highlighted that Chile needs a new country vision for aquaculture – where salmon and seaweed are the solution to food problems. 

But the industry has work to do to be seen this way. Executive President of the Consejo de Salmon, Loreto Seguel, noted that the sector needs to do more to communicate its contributions and commitment to progress. She highlighted that the sector is starting to work more with other sectors from tourism, agriculture and gastronomy to deepen its opportunities and connections with wider society.

3. The barrier isn’t technical – it’s political

If there was one point of consensus across every panel, it was this: salmon farming, and the wider blue economy, have the science, the data, the technological know-how to evolve. What is missing is the regulatory clarity to match. 

Slow permitting and policy uncertainty were named repeatedly as the biggest brakes on responsible growth. The answer panellists kept coming back to wasn’t deregulation – it was good, effective regulation – built collectively with industry, academia and communities. Rules and guidelines that raise standards, create clarity and earn long-term confidence from investors, regulators and the public alike. 

4. Sustainability Is the Engine of Economic Growth

One of the most encouraging shifts across the day was how sustainability was being framed – not as a cost, a compliance burden or a branding exercise, but as the actual driver of economic value. Patricio Melero, President of SalmonChile, was direct when he shared – “transparency, particularly around sustainability was now a fundamental requirement, not a nice to have”. 

Through GSI’s annual Sustainability Report, the industry has seen first-hand how measurable, public metrics on key topics such as feed ingredients, fish health and ecosystem management – build trust that unlocks capital, shapes better policy and helps consumers make informed choices. Building on this theme, Joao Campari, WWF International, acknowledged that all food producing sectors have an impact, so the focus has to be on protecting ecosystems, and continually improving to produce more with less impact. Aquaculture has significant potential, but the question is, how do we unlock it? The answer? Sessions like this. Fostering connections between stakeholders that hold the key to shaping a more sustainable future.

5. Community inclusion is non-negotiable for a thriving Blue Economy

Some of the most energising moments of the day came from the voices of coastal communities, and the message was one of possibility. Zoila Bustamante, representing  Chile's artisanal fishing community through CONAPACH, made a case worth embedding in every blue economy strategy: the blue economy is strongest when it works with everyone who depends on it. Industries that invest in meaningful community integration don't just earn goodwill –  they secure the trust and long-term partnerships that underpin lasting success.

At a more local level, Rodrigo Wainraihgt, Mayor of Puerto Montt, walked us through Chile's Salmon Plan 2050 – a vision for southern Chile that uses sustainable aquaculture as an engine of regional prosperity. Better conditions for the more than 80,000 people the industry already employs. Science-based zoning of suitable marine areas, and modernised frameworks like the Lafkenche Law that ensure coastal communities have a genuine voice in how the industry grows alongside them. Built on modern frameworks, the Plan shows that the opportunity is clear – design blue economy strategies that explicitly link industry growth to regional development, job creation and visible community benefit. The people living alongside salmon farms should not be bystanders in the regions developments, but be active stakeholders in the sector’s future. 

6. Innovation is key, but only if matched with accountability

The closing session of Blue Horizons turned to where the blue economy goes from here. The future is exciting: AI-assisted aquaculture management, multi-trophic farming systems, algae as a protein and carbon capture sink, and sharper performance measurement frameworks. The technology to unlock the next phase of responsible growth is increasingly here.

But - and this came through across speakers - innovation without accountability won’t unlock the trust, capital or political support the sector needs. The industry has to be willing to engage with hard truths, improve transparency around environmental performance, and communicate its story more clearly to the public and political audiences that often lack the full picture. Uncertainty, as one speaker put it plainly, kills investment. Clarity and ambition together can unlock it.

What’s next – and why are we optimistic?

Across the day’s sessions, we heard from ministers, scientists, farmers, mayors and industry colleagues who all arrived at the same conclusion from very different starting points – sustainability and growth are not competing priorities. Done responsibly, aquaculture is one of the clearest pathways to feed a growing population with healthy protein, support coastal livelihoods and ease pressure on land and climate at the same time.

The lasting takeaway from Blue Horizons reaches far beyond Chile’s 6km coastline. The answers exist – and the conversations are happening. By working together, we can start building something that not only works but also works for everyone.

This is the work GSI was founded to enable. What was clear from the dialogues in Santiago was that the future of our ocean economy is not something we will inherit, but something we choose, and more importantly, we create. We are optimistic that together we can shape a blue economy that delivers prosperity for people and planet. Join us in this journey, follow along on LinkedIn, and sign up to our newsletter here.