Turtles and Whales

Geographical location:

Latin America/Caribbean > South America > Colombia

Summary

Colombia’s waters provide a home for key marine flagship species, including several species of marine turtles and humpback whales. However, there are problems with overfishing and infrastructure development, which pose potential threats to these species.

The project will build on previous conservation work to protect marine turtles and humpback whales in Colombia. It will continue to create new protected areas and reduce key threats, but will also address new and additional pressures such as infrastructure proposals and problems associated with bycatch.

Background

WWF Colombia has been engaged in numerous activities to protect the critical habitats of marine turtles and humpback whales. This work has focused on reducing threats and creating a policy and legal framework to support effective conservation strategies.

Whilst the project will continue to create new protected areas, it will also address additional pressures which negatively impact on populations of humpback whales and marine turtles. For example, ongoing coastal development, including port construction as part of new government proposals for regional integration and tourism, is likely to disrupt nesting beaches, reproductive areas and reproductive cycles.

Also to be addressed is the problem of bycatch by long-lines, commercial trawling and artisanal fisheries.

WWF’s approach will involve engagement with the fisheries and tourism sector.

Objectives

The overall aim is a reduction in the key threats that are affecting flagship species such as marine turtles and humpback whales, and thereby maintain and or increase a more viable population.

Specific objectives to be achieved by 2010 are:
1. A Pacific network of ecologically representative marine protected areas is established and effectively managed for the improved protection of humpback whales and marine turtles.
2. Sustainable fishing measures are adopted to reduce focal species bycatch and to maintain more viable populations.
3. At least 2 threats, infrastructure and tourism, that affect species habitats such as nesting beaches, reproductive areas and species reproductive cycles are reduced or minimized to contribute to the maintenance of the ecological integrity of marine and coastal ecosystems (coral reefs and mangrove forests).

Achievement

- New protected area for key nesting beaches of leatherback and hawksbill turtles in the Gulf of Uraba is significantly advanced, with participation and support of local communities.

- Agreements among stakeholders regarding the designation of Bahia Malaga as a new protected area in the Pacific.

- Greater awareness about marine turtles on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

- Progress (by working closely with local fishing communities) towards the conversion of J hooks to O hooks, which are less dangerous to marine turtles.

- Joint development (between Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) of a strategy for the conservation of the humpback whale in the southeast Pacific.