Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence - The Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea

The Challenge

The “Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence” represents one of the last large relatively well preserved marine ecosystems. Its oceanic and ecological processes occur in very vast sectors and are fundamental to mitigate the effects of climate change, provide valuable services to human societies and also provide unique natural spectacles.

It consists of large scale and productive oceanic areas. It also includes important areas of fishing as well as foraging and migration areas for turtles, seabirds and marine mammals. Politically, it includes provincial jurisdictions, territorial seas, and the exclusive economic zones of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile, as well as the surrounding international waters or high seas. To promote conservation in this vast area, we need to take a regional approach to promote cooperation among communities, organizations, scientists and authorities of the different countries and territories.

Our Strategy

The Forum is an international network created to coordinate the joint work of those civil society organizations focused on promoting policies and measures to guarantee the sustainability and viability of the Patagonian Sea ecosystem.

Among its principles, the Forum sustains consensus amongst all interested sectors on the value of scientific information, transdisciplinarity and diversity of nationalities, outlooks and opinions. The uniqueness of this network is its comprehensive vision, inspired in the fact that the ecosystems and their forms of life transcend political boundaries.

Action

We promote strategies to complete the projects and programs that challenge us today and that each organization could not achieve on their own:

Marine Protected Areas Systems

We work to expand and ensure an effective system of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Argentina and Chile. With the support of key stakeholders, our goal on concluding this project, is that the Patagonian Sea MPA system will be duplicated in area, and substantive progress will be made for long-term science-based marine conservation policies.

Regional School for MPA managers

We promote a training program in management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to strengthen skills and competencies for an effective implementation.

Clean Patagonian Sea

We diagnose and investigate solutions for the problem of solid waste originated by fishing at sea and on the coast, as an input for a future strategy to be implemented to mitigate the impact on marine fauna and coastal sites.

Lighthouses of the Patagonian Sea

The Forum has identified 23 marine areas of high ecological importance (Forum Lighthouses) based on: concentrations of biodiversity; key habitats for endemic or threatened species; contributions to ecosystem functions and services; and economic, social, and cultural value to communities.

IUCN Regional Red List Workshops for Species of the Patagonian Sea

Workshops and regional symposiums are held to evaluate the conservation status of species in the Patagonian Sea, with the advice and participation of scientists from the region and experts belonging to the Forum organizations.

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Latest News

Progress towards the protection of Isla Guafo https://marpatagonico.org/wp-content/uploads/EVELYN-PFEIFFER-WWF-CHILE.-GUAFO-low.jpg 2016 1344 The Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea The Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea https://marpatagonico.org/wp-content/uploads/EVELYN-PFEIFFER-WWF-CHILE.-GUAFO-low.jpg February 4, 2020 February 19, 2020

February 4, 2020

Progress towards the protection of Isla Guafo

Isla Guafo is a relevant site for the wildlife, culture and spirituality of the Mapuche Huilliches communities in southern Chiloé (Chile) and is also a key point for the conservation of marine biodiversity in Patagonia. The wonderful cultural and natural attributes of Guafo have motivated a group of ten indigenous communities in Chiloé to promote the “Wuafo Wapi, ancestral territory for conservation” initiative that seeks the declaration of a Marine Coastal Area of Native Peoples (ECMPO) in Guafo, a proposal that was declared admissible by SUBPESCA, after being officially presented with the technical support of WWF Chile, and the support of the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Oceans5. In 2013, the area of the Gulf of Corcovado – Isla Guafo was identified by the Forum as one of the Lighthouses of the Patagonian Sea for its outstanding ecological and oceanographic conditions.

How to contribute to the strategic positioning of the sea on the public agenda?

Given the urgent need to contribute to the strategic positioning of the sea on the public agenda, on thursday 23 of january, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Argentina time), a webinar will be held for journalists and communicators of Latin America, to propose new resources and contents to generate a regional perspective that includes the sea. The meeting will be held with Claves21, and will be led by the president of the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea, Claudio Campagna.

Our wish for 2020

Our wish for 2020 is that through our work in marine conservation we can be the best reflection of ourselves.