Living on the shore: socio-ecological patterns of seaweed gathering in Millongue, on the coast of Lebu (Chile)

Abstract

The contemporary socio-environmental crisis has intensified tensions in Chile’s coastal ecosystems, particularly in territories shaped by extractivist processes where local communities have historically developed relationships of interdependence with their environment. This article examines the socio-ecological relationship that the community of Millongue, located on the coast of Lebu in the Biobío Region, constructs with its environment through the practice of seaweed harvesting.

This research was conducted through a collaborative ethnography carried out between 2023 and 2024. Drawing on participant observation, in-depth interviews, and participatory workshops, the study analyzes the historical trajectories of seaweed harvesting, the territorial and environmental transformations perceived by the community, and the tensions that emerge between local subsistence economies and market dynamics.

The article argues that the Millongue community plays an active role in the production and care of coastal commons through local ecological knowledge. However, these practices are increasingly challenged by structural processes such as integration into global value chains and the expansion of industrial forestry. In this context, recognizing these socio-ecological relationships is key to envisioning more just and sustainable forms of coastal governance along the Chilean coast.