LIMITING FACTORS IN OPTIMIZING SEAWEED YIELD IN CHILE

A number of factors influenced yield from natural beds of marine algae in Chile. These factors are related not only to biological and ecolog ical knowledge of the algal resource, but also to external events, suc h as; (1) the pressure of international markets for raw material, (2) unemployment level of coastal workers, which increases the number of s easonal harvesters, (3) the low level of regulation enforcement along Chile's extensive coast, (4) the low level of education and income of algal harvesters, and (5) except for Gracilaria, the lack of a managem ent plan for algal resources.