More than 50 representatives of the member organizations of the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence gathered in Puerto Pirámides, Chubut, within the framework of the celebration of its annual Plenary and of the 20 years of creation of the Forum, agreed to subscribe the so-called “Declaration of Pirámides”.
The text of the Declaration, which emerged from discussions that took place before, during and shortly after the end of the Plenary and which represented a collective effort, ratifies the Forum’s commitment to marine conservation and the importance of raising society’s awareness of the need to care for marine ecosystems.
The Forum intends to contribute to the fulfillment of Target 3 of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to effectively conserve 30% of the planet’s terrestrial and aquatic surface by 2030.
It also expresses its commitment to support the expansion and strengthening of new marine protected areas in the seas of the Southern Cone.
Another point of the declaration refers to the “commitment to protect key environments and species for the ecological integrity of the Patagonian Sea, recognizing that the advances of human activities without considering environmental damage represent an unacceptable threat”, highlighting the concern generated by the potential installation of an oil terminal in the San Matías Gulf and the industrial production of salmonids in Chile’s MPAs (and the attempt to advance in this kind of production in Argentina).
The conservation of the Franciscana dolphin and the threat posed by its bycatch in artisanal fishing nets is another of the points included in the document, in which the signatories express their commitment to promote its conservation.
Regarding international agreements, the Forum is in favor of ratifying the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity on Áreas beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), supporting the proposal made by Chilean authorities to establish the headquarters of the technical secretariat of the treaty in the city of Valparaíso, as the first UN headquarters in a South American country.
It also mentions the importance of making progress on the Global Plastics Treaty to curb pollution in the sea and all forms of life, and to comply with the Escazú Agreement to guarantee access to information, public participation and justice in environmental matters.
Full text of the declaration here