Simulation model of the scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) farming in northern Chile: Some applications in the decision making process

Aquaculture farming is a complex system integrating several disciplines, including biology, engineering and economics, all which need to be correctly intertwined to have a profitable and environmentally sustainable activity. During the past recent years, scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) farmers in northern Chile have come to comprehend the hard way that aquaculture producers operate in a complex and dynamic environment where natural and economic factors are in constant change. Thus, to keep a profitable and competitive business in today's world, aquaculture farm managers are in need of relatively easy to use tools for efficient and timely decision making. Harvest size and time, mortality and growth rates, stocking rates, costs and market prices are important variables and parameters to monitor, where decisions with respect to their levels or values have to be made. In this context, non-linear and dynamic quantitative bioeconomic models should become valuable tools, for periodic decision making in the aquaculture business. This paper shows how to emulate Chilean scallop farming using a simulation model that mimics some of the industry's features. The model presented here focuses on a scallop aquaculture center that uses the common technology approach of pearl net and lanterns of the northern region of Chile, and analyses the farming strategies based on harvesting size. Also, these strategies were subject to variations in the parameters in order to identify patterns and asses the sensibility of the model to input values.