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Ecosystem impacts of applying single-species versus multiple-species MSY in the Patagonian sprat fishery (Sprattus fuegensis) in the inner sea ecosystem of southern Chile Ruben Alarcón1, Sergio Neira2,3 and Hugo Arancibia3 1 Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias mención Manejo de Recursos Acuáticos Renovables. Departamento de Oceanografía. Universidad de Concepción, Chile. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Programa COPAS Sur-Austral, Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción. 3 Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción. The Patagonian sprat (Sprattusfuegensis; Jenyns, 1842) is a clupeid fish that it is distributed around the southern tip of South America: from 41ºS in the Atlantic shore, including Falkland Islands, to 41ºS off Chilean Patagonia, one of the largest estuarine ecosystems around the world. The austral sardine (as known in Chile), is the main species of a recently (since 2004) small-scale fishery operating in the inner sea of the Chilean Patagonia. As small pelagic fish (SPF), Patagonian sprat is a key component of the ecosystem, because it feeds on phyto- and zooplankton items, and at the same time, is a prey of large fish with economic importance for the artisanal fishery of the inner sea of the Chilean Patagonia. Also, it is important for other key species in the ecosystem like Magellan penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus), other marine birds, and marine mammals like sea lions (Otaria flavescens). Since 2013, Chilean fisheries are managed by setting annual quotas that drive/maintain the fishery to/at the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). However, MSY is estimated using single-species stock assessment models ignoring trophic interactions. This study contributes to advancing the ecosystem-based management in the fishery of Patagonian sprat by modelling the structure and functioning of the inner sea of northern Chilean Patagonia and estimating single-species MSY as well multiple-species MSY. Later the ecosystem impacts of applying each reference point is evaluated using food web simulations, under the hypothesis that applying single-species MSY in Patagonian sprat results in greater negative ecosystem effects than applying multi-species MSY.