Environment

Chilean waters are protected

These are the efforts made by the government of Chile to achieve protection of 42% of its seawater

Chilean waters are protected

Chile has shown in recent years its interest in environmental conservation through various decisions, from the project to stop using coal as an energy source by 2030, to its significant investment in solar power, or even closing a plant in La Higuera for preservation of penguins.

Now the Chilean government has announced the creation of a Marine Protected Area Multipurpose Coast (AMCPMU, for its initials in Spanish) in the Aysen region, Chilean Patagonia in the south of the country. Chile thus reaches the 38 marine areas with some protection.

Liesbeth van der Meer, director of the NGO Oceana, an international organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the oceans in the world, said that “in Caleta Tortel converge glacial waters, river and sea, creating a special and unique marine environment in this Patagonia area”. The creation of these parks and protected areas seek to safeguard 130 marine species that inhabit the area, 32 of these endangered. Even small – scale economic, such as fishing and sustainable tourism activities are allowed.

The Organization emphasized that the project to create the protected area has been in the works for 10 years between Oceana, the community of Tortel, local authorities and the Ministry for Sustainability Council. For his part, the mayor of Caleta Tortel, Bernardo Lopez, said that “the figure of marine protected area allow us to continue making progress with sustainable economic activities such as tourism and fishing, and also protect the unique ecosystem with our fjords”.

After 5 expeditions, Oceana highlights the biological richness of the area, among which are endemic to the region as the Chilean dolphin, sponges, and corals, which are vulnerable to any contamination. The NGO explains that the new protected area comprises 6,702 square kilometers divided IGNORE INTO an oceanic portion in the Gulf of Penas and other channels surrounding Tortel.

Among the 38 are 10 protected areas are Marine Park, 13 AMCPMU 5 Marine Reserves and 10 Natural Sanctuaries. In addition, the government also expanded the protected area of the archipelago of Juan Fernandez, the Chilean Pacific, more than 670 km away from the coast.

According to the Chilean Ministry of the Environment, the Exclusive Economic Zones which were protected was 4.35%. The government says that on March 11, when the presidency is delivered to Sebastian Piñera, this percentage will be 42.4% (1’469.068 square kilometers), due to the creation of Pumalin Park Douglas Tompkins totaling 4.5 million additional hectares. Pumalin Park, also in Patagonia, was formed with lands donated by the philanthropist Douglas Tompkins.

For the government of Sebastián Piñera some outstanding tasks on the issue of Environment and Conservation will remain, such as the declaration of protection of the area of La Higuera, where a mine that was closed due to environmental risk for penguins.

 

Latin American Post | Santiago Gómez Hernández

Translated from “Las aguas chilenas están protegidas”

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