Getting our sea back: Indigenous governance and biocultural conservation of coastal and marine commons

The Indigenous management of the commons has been the subject of considerable interest by the scientific community in recent decades. One area of growing interest is the study of how these groups organise and act to confront external development initiatives that threaten their livelihoods and the ecosystems that sustain them. This article examines the challenges and opportunities created by a law in Chile that establishes Indigenous Marine Areas, which allows Indigenous peoples to manage marine and coastal areas to protect their customary uses. Integrating insights from critical geography and political ecology on commons governance, Indigenous resurgence, and local social-ecological well-being, this study aims to advance understanding of how Indigenous peoples respond to the socio-ecological impacts of aquaculture in southern Chile under the new law. The analysis focuses on the changes in the access and use of coastal marine space and resources. The findings illustrate that establishing these Indigenous Marine Areas fosters alternative models of territorial development and marine conservation, thereby contributing to local socio-ecological well-being. Despite the socio-territorial intricacy of these processes and the opposition from global industries such as salmon aquaculture, the study concluded that the law has the potential to significantly broaden the range of actors, knowledge, and practices involved in the governance of coastal and marine commons, thereby promoting equity in access to and management of marine spaces and resources. • Creating Indigenous Marine Areas (IMAs) in Chile enhances coastal and marine governance. • IMAs regulate the expansion of industrial aquaculture. • Indigenous peoples promote local development, marine conservation, and community well-being. • The implementation of IMAs can lead to conflicts between territorial actors. • Informed participation, access agreements, and conflict management are crucial for establishing AIMs.