What is AQUA SUR? AQUA SUR provides a meeting place, which is aimed at satisfying the needs of the aquaculture community. Since it was founded in 2002, it has become the most important aquaculture fair in the southern hemisphere. The event is held every two years in Puerto Montt, Chile, bringing together suppliers of equipment, supplies, and services. Version V, AQUA SUR 2008 Date and time: Wednesday, March 26 to Friday, March 28: 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Entrance fee (including visitor’s guide): CLP$ 10,000 (approximately USD$ 20): adults - Free entrance: - Invited guest   THE FAIR AQUA SUR Between 2002 and 2006, we have held four successful versions in the city of Puerto Montt in March, welcoming the local and international aquaculture community. Businessmen, investors, authorities, bankers, executives, professionals, foreign delegations, researchers, academics, and the media meet to learn about the latest developments in equipment, services, and technologies designed for this important sector of the economy. AQUA SUR also provides an excellent opportunity to exchange experience, know-how, and trends, because of the various activities that take place during this important event. At the first version (2002) AQUA SUR had 4,400 m2 of surface area and representatives from 20 countries. In the fourth version (2006) the surface increased to 8525 m2 with 40 countries represented, which shows that the surface has grown 48%, and the number of countries has increased 100%.   The company that organizes AQUA SUR is TechnoPress S.A., which belongs to Fundación Chile and Editec. This company has defined its mission as supporting the aquaculture-fishing and forestry sectors in their growth, development, and local and international positioning, through actions and products aimed at that objective. In the aquaculture-fishing area, the company produces the PESCA SUR and AQUA SUR fairs, AQUA magazine, the Aquaculture and Fishing directory of Chile, www.dapel.cl, the aqua.cl and pescaaldia.cl portals, and the electronic newsletter entitled AQUA al día. History of aquaculture in Chile Aquaculture in Chile dates from the end of the 19th century, but commercial aquaculture started in the 1960s with the farming of oysters and mussels in the southern part of the country. The salmon farming industry started to take off in the late 1980s, and it has been so successful that Chile is currently the second largest producer in the world, after Norway. The resources in the southernmost part of Chile, reflected in a long strip of coastline characterized by water with excellent temperatures and many protected islands, fjords, and bays, has made aquaculture –especially salmon farming- one of the most relevant economic activities in the country today. This success is associated with the so-called “salmon belt” of about 1,700 kilometers that extends between Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas, which has optimal conditions for farming. Regions III and IV –with their recognized natural assets- have also become a suitable area for the development of aquaculture. The presence of a favorable environment would not have been sufficient to explain that success, however, without the decisive action of men and women with a vision of the future and companies and institutions with a strong commitment to development.