By FONDEMAR (Fondo para el Desarrollo Sostenible de los Mares y Costas)
Along Peru’s southern coast, where desert landscapes meet the nutrient-rich waters of the Humboldt Current: one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet, coastal communities have intertwined their destiny with the ocean for generations. Artisanal fishers, in particular, stand not only as economic actors but also stewards of marine resources deeply connected to the rhythms of the sea and the sustainability of its ecosystems. Yet today, these communities face a complex and evolving set of challenges. Climate variability, the degradation of critical habitats, increasing industrial pressure, and historical governance gaps are reshaping marine-coastal dynamics. At the same time, global conservation agendas are advancing rapidly, often without fully integrating the voices and realities of those whose livelihoods are tied most directly to marine resources.
At FONDEMAR (Fondo para el Desarrollo Sostenible de los Mares y Costas), we believe that marine conservation can only be effective and sustainable if it emerges from the communities themselves, rooted in local knowledge and driven by the active participation of coastal communities.
Navigating Between Ecological Abundance and Social Vulnerability
In the bay of San Juan de Marcona, Peru, dense underwater macroalgae forests represent far more than a commercial resource: they are the cornerstone of the ecosystem. Acting like carbon sinks, protecting the shoreline from erosion from storm and flooding, and sheltering for hundreds of commercially valuable species, the sustainable management of this ecosystem is paramount to ensuring the long-term economic resilience of fishing families. Nevertheless, communities in the regions of Ica and Arequipa face a dual vulnerability: the effects of climate change and the extreme volatility of international prices for raw macroalgae in global markets. Historically, community-based management centered on the passive collection of seaweed washed ashore has been a successful sustainable model, preventing the overexploitation of living resources while enabling an organized extraction of shellfish and fish stocks. These community practices have been so effective that they have served as the basis for the development of formal regulations and management plans at both local and national levels. Today, nearly 800 artisanal fishers, including more than 150 women who lead the activity, depend directly on this value chain. However, reliance on a single resource exposes families to severe financial risks. Economic diversification has become an urgent necessity to ensure the long-term sustainability of the territory.
Blue Circular Economy: Biotechnological Innovation in Marcona
In response to this challenge, the artisanal fishers’ association Asociación Proyecto Mar de Marcona – APROMAR, based in San Juan de Marcona, together with strategic partners including Reserva Nacional San Fernando and FONDEMAR, has launched an environmental innovation project: transforming stranded macroalgae into highly efficient liquid foliar biofertilizers for agriculture. Every year, the coast of Marcona receives nearly 12,000 tons of macroalgae through natural beach strandings. Instead of exporting this resource solely as dehydrated raw material subject to unstable international prices, APROMAR members collect the excess biomass and, through a natural biological fermentation process, transform it into high-value agricultural inputs. The project masterfully combines traditional ecological knowledge with biotechnological training and the principles of the circular economy.
The Potential of Value Addition
While one ton of raw stranded algae is valued on the local market between USD $80 and $670, that same ton processed under the project’s model can yield up to 1,600 liters of foliar biofertilizer, reaching an estimated commercial value of USD $10,800. Macroalgae-based biofertilizers offer a sustainable, high-performance alternative to traditional synthetic fertilizers, whose negative impacts on soils and aquifers are increasingly concerning to the scientific community. By promoting nature-based solutions, the project reduces the carbon footprint of regional agriculture while stimulating the local economy through the use of a renewable marine resource. After two years of rigorous technical development, the pilot phase was successfully launched in 2025, achieving the production, formula standardization and application of the first 400 liters of biofertilizer on local agricultural plots. Assessed in a semi-conditioned environment, the product gave satisfying outcomes when tried on various types of plantings, from legumes to tropical fruits.
Every year, the Marcona coast receives nearly 12,000 tons of macroalgae through natural beach strandings. Local communities collect it manually, turning a natural process into a shared act of care and stewardship. Credit: FONDEMAR
More Resilient and Autonomous Territories
This model breaks the historic dependence on external export markets. By processing the resource locally, artisanal fishers retain economic value within their own territory, promoting a symbiotic economy between the sea and Peruvian agriculture. Beyond biotechnological innovation, the true core of the project is human empowerment. By demonstrating that marine conservation can generate direct and tangible economic returns, FONDEMAR and APROMAR are proving that environmental protection and community well-being are not opposing goals, but rather two sides of the same coin. Community leadership and nature-based solutions are the true anchors for overcoming the climate crisis and ensuring fair, sustainable and inclusive blue growth in southern Peru.
About FONDEMAR
Our initiatives are carried out along the southern Peruvian coast, focusing on strategic areas such as San Juan de Marcona, Changuillo, Caleta San José and Ilo. In these ecosystems, artisanal fisheries are crucial in safeguarding food security and regional socioeconomic development. Guided by principles of mutual respect, patience, and constructive empathy, FONDEMAR breaks away from the traditional top-down conservation model. We do not impose external restrictions; instead, we co-design integrated solutions that respond directly to the reality on the ground. This includes strengthening local capacities, promoting environmental education, and facilitating connections between communities and public, private, and civil society actors. For us, communities are not passive beneficiaries of cooperation, but agents of change and essential strategic partners. We strengthen their organizational structures and understanding of regulatory frameworks to ensure their equitable participation in decision-making processes that impact their future.
Follow their work: https://fondemar.org/