The project will build a national Plan of the Whale and Dolphin Uruguayan Sanctuary, identifying the most critical areas for mitigate and avoid impacts on the endangered cetaceans (Eubalaena sp; Pontoporia sp; Orca sp; Tursiops sp.), which are threatened and die by direct, indirect and synergistic activities registered since 2006 : ship-strikes, chemical pollutants, marine debris, noise pollution and seismic exploration for hydrocarbon and gas.
The waters of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean included in the sanctuary are part of the mega Uruguay-Paran waterway and route to the ports of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, with a traffic of large ships estimated in more than 5200 ships of ran Per year .
The project aim to generate the knowledge of ecological cetaceans aspects and support conservation strategies to define critical protected areas. Methods will be included aerial and marine surveys (species identification and quantification), passive acoustic recording, photo-ID to monitoring species. And to target priority actions together Naval Army, authorities and local communities, especially considering the increased traffic noise, pollution, collisions in coastal areas due to human activities.
Progress reports
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Type of commitment
- Community or Locally Managed Marine Areas
- Integrated Coastal Management
- Marine Spatial Planning
- Large Marine Ecosystem approach
- Ecosystem-based Adaptation
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
Type of commitment
- Compliance, monitoring and enforcement
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
Type of commitment
- Marine protected area with partial protection
- Multiple use marine protected area
- Locally or community managed marine areas
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Type of commitment
- Scientific, socioeconomic and interdisciplinary research
- Data access and sharing
- Training and professional development
- Scientific cooperation
- Transfer marine technology
October 2018
Reinforce and generate scientific information on bio-acoustic, photo-ID, distribution key coastal cetacean focus species
October 2018
Continue developing a community-based management preliminary plan for Uruguays whales and dolphins sanctuary.
October 2019
Identify the key critical coastal areas for implement conservation actions
Uruguay
