Colombia advances in the implementation of the National Action Plan for Aquatic Mammals 2022–2035!
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, with support from the Save the Blue Five project—a regional initiative funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany, through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), and implemented by the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific, GIZ German Cooperation, Conservation International, and MarViva Foundation—is carrying out capacity-building and inter-institutional coordination actions for the implementation of the “Protocol for the Response to Entanglements and Strandings of Marine Mammals.”
As part of these actions, several spaces for capacity strengthening, discussion, and coordination have taken place with the participation of the Directorate of Marine, Coastal and Aquatic Resources Affairs of the Ministry of Environment; the Regional Autonomous Corporations of the Pacific (CODECHOCO, CVC, CRC, CORPONARIÑO); the National Natural Parks of Colombia (PNN Utría, PNN Uramba Bahía Málaga, PNN Gorgona, DNMI Cabo Manglares); and the Port Captaincies of the Colombian Pacific (CP Buenaventura, CP Guapi, CP Tumaco), representing environmental and maritime authorities.
To mitigate entanglements and ensure safe response in each case, these efforts highlight dialogue processes that promote the strengthening of local institutional capacities in the Colombian Pacific through awareness-raising activities, the delivery of specialized kits, and trainings such as the course “Entanglement and Strandings Focused on Marine Mammals of Colombia,” led by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and Mexico’s National Network for Assistance to Entangled Whales (RABEN).
Ahead of the start of the whale migration season and with the aim of boosting response actions, a total of 15 specialized disentanglement kits were donated to environmental and maritime authorities. These kits include a hermetic case, grappling hook, extensions, connectors, flying knife, fixed knife, safety carabiners, and specialized marine blades designed for cutting fishing gear and ropes.
Colombia is facing an increasing number of entanglement events, and therefore, multiple sectors and institutions agree on the importance of continuing the joint process to advance the establishment of Local Response Networks trained to address cases in the Pacific in a coordinated, effective, and safe manner.
For this reason, Save the Blue Five is promoting the creation of a Regional Training Network in the Southeast Pacific for large cetacean disentanglement, based on a “training-of-trainers” approach. This will help install long-term capacities in the country and support the development of trained national and local networks, which are expected to be implemented as pilot measures in two departments of the Colombian Pacific.
By strengthening capacities today, we ensure more sustainable oceans tomorrow!
