During this meeting, Sergio Palma, vice-president of the Forum and director of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Daniela Castro, coordinator of the Chilean Node, made a presentation on the objectives of the Forum and its working groups. Together with César Guala, from the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), they highlighted the relevance of achieving training opportunities in the management of marine protected areas, mentioning the alliance between the ProAP Academy and the School for the Management of the Marine Protected Areas of the Southern Cone, an example of a regional and multi-sectoral collaborative project, born within the Forum.
As a result of this alliance, the course “Towards a more participatory and equitable management of MPAs” is being developed this year at the UACh. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Fundación Vida Silvestre (FVS) and Pew Charitable Trusts (PEW) – all local organizations that are members of the Forum – are part of this initiative, with the support of the Blue Nature Alliance (BNA).
Within the Portal Communities Meeting, the Forum also participated with a stand, which served as a showcase to share its experiences and work in progress with authorities, administrators of protected wildlife areas, local communities, scientists, academics and civil society in general. It was also an opportunity to convey messages to the media present at the meeting on topics of interest in Chile, such as salmon farming.
Following the Portal Communities meeting, the Chilean Node held an encounter of its members on October 17 to agree on future steps and joint strategies. They discussed the strengthening of marine protected areas, particularly in relation to the threats posed by the impacts of activities such as salmon farming and hydrogen production in the Patagonian sea.
The organizations belonging to the node also agreed on joint actions to follow up on international agreements, such as the “High Seas Treaty” (or BBNJ, Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement) that Chile signed this year and the moratorium, or precautionary pause, on underwater mining that Chile maintains.