Posted on 27 February
2014 | Valdivia, Chile: The approval by
the government of Chile of the largest Marine
Protected Area (MPA) in continental Chile
is a boost to conservation efforts for blue
whales and dolphins.
The Tic-Toc MPA on Chile’s
southern coast announced this week follows
almost 15 years of work by a number of organizations
including WWF to protect the waters against
threats such as overfishing and aquaculture
activities.
“This marine park is
a gift and a great inheritance for our children,”
said Dr. Francisco Viddi, Marine Conservation
Program coordinator at WWF Chile.
With an area of around
90,000 ha (equal to the urban area of Chile´s
capital), Tic-Toc was established in one
of the most biodiverse areas of Chilean
coast.
“Tic-Toc will finally
be protected; its rich waters, innumerable
species and fragile ecosystem will be conserved
and the blue whales will continue to have
a home here every summer,” said Dr Viddi.
In addition to blue
whales, unique species of dolphins such
as the Chilean dolphin and Peale's dolphin,
as well as two endangered species of otter
are found in this ecosystem.
Located off the southern
coast of Chile, the new MPA is an important
feeding and nursing ground for the blue
whale, the world's largest mammal.
“This is the beginning
of a path to achieve conservation of at
least 10% of Chilean seascapes. Still there
is much left to do, but we are convinced
that the declaration of these new protected
areas will be a significant contribution
and will be managed seriously and efficiently,”
said Dr Viddi.
This initiative originally
promoted by the Melimoyu Foundatio was moved
forward by the efforts of WWF-Chile, the
Blue Whale Centre, and the Austral University
of Chile.
WWF-Chile worked in
the area for almost one decade carrying
out research on key marine species and has
a number of ongoing projects including blue
whale satellite tracking, dolphin habitat
monitoring, promoting better practices in
salmon farming and promoting sustainable
ecotourism.
Along with Tic-Toc,
the government also approved the designation
of a Marine Coastal Protected Area further
south in Aysén. Both efforts will
help to consolidate an important pole of
conservation in the area.
“Chile urgently needs
a network of marine protected areas along
the coast and the Tic-Toc Marine Park and
the Aysén protected area opens the
door, and we hope that they serve as a model
to be replicated in the rest of the country,”
said Carlos Cuevas, Founder and Director
of the Melimoyu Foundation.
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most
respected independent conservation organizations,
with over 5 million supporters and a global
network active in over 100 countries. WWF's
mission is to stop the degradation of the
earth's natural environment and to build
a future in which humans live in harmony
with nature, by conserving the world's biological
diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable
natural resources is sustainable, and promoting
the reduction of pollution and wasteful
consumption.
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