Sea & Sky

The Patagonian Large Marine Ecosystem (PLME) which contains and surrounds the Patagonian Shelf, is one of the largest and most important such systems on Earth. Its vast area (2 million km²) harbors some of the Southern Hemisphere’s richest marine resources, sustained by the nutrient transport of the Falklands-Malvinas and Brazil currents. The living resources of the area, particularly fish and squid, are of major economic importance. They also sustain breeding and feeding aggregations of albatross, penguins, whales, and seals, which together constitute outstanding wildlife spectacles. The community of top predators and migrants in this vast area come from as far away as Antarctica, South Georgia Island, and even New Zealand. WCS’s involvement in the region dates back to the 1970s and has included research, training, capacity building, and policy development. The Sea & Sky initiative seeks to promote precautionary management at the ecosystem level for this vast “oceanscape” – an epicenter of biological productivity.

The Human Aspect
Over the past 30 years there has been a definite change in attitudes toward coastal wildlife in Patagonia. Local communities have gone from harvesting marine birds and mammals to appreciating them and using them as tourist attractions. The change in attitude is the single most important factor responsible for the recovery of many species of marine birds and mammals. WCS played a major role in this change of culture. In the mid-1990s, the Patagonian Coastal Zone Management Plan was implemented by Fundación Patagonia Natural, a local NGO, with Global Environment Facility support to protect coastal wildlife. In 2001, WCS started Sea & Sky to address conservation issues further offshore, where unsustainable or even illegal international fishing operations impact wildlife.

Threats
The Patagonian Large Marine Ecosystem has a history of exploitation. This has resulted in habitat degradation to the point that populations of many species are declining and have been given IUCN Globally Threatened Status. Unsustainable, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing by commercial fleets threatens many fish and squid species found on the continental shelf and slope off Argentine Patagonia, and adversely impacts wildlife higher in the food chain.  

WCS Activities
Sea & Sky seeks to contribute to the conservation of the open-ocean ecosystem under the influence of the Falklands-Malvinas current. Our specific focus is the pelagic waters of the Patagonian shelf and slope connected to coastal and sub-antarctic habitats. This broad-scope, multiple-phase, umbrella program integrates technical, jurisdictional, and economic aspects, including policy recommendations and enforcement. Sustainable management is at its core. Zoning strategies will define protected areas based on wildlife’s use of the several seasonal oceanographic regimes that integrate this marine ecosystem.

International cooperation is critical to developing a conservation plan for an area of outstanding regional and global significance whose resources are not yet depleted past the point of no return. Challenges ahead demand our collaboration with key stakeholders to prevent further unsustainable exploitation of the PLME. Consolidating efforts within an international alliance could open new opportunities for further participation and multilateral discussion on wildlife use and conservation. Priority-use zones and sectors under precautionary management, which reflects seasonal oceanic variations, will maintain the ecological integrity of an area that is 70% the size of Argentina.

Important Next Steps

• Help develop and sustain multi-lateral, science-based conservation and management systems.
• Advance the scientific support of the initiative.
• Develop functional models and zoning strategies.
• Promote strategic alliances for cooperative initiatives designed with an ecosystem approach.
• Improve the funding base necessary to support operations throughout the region.
• Provide a model for tackling similar problems in other areas where cultural, historical, and jurisdictional differences have hindered effective conservation and management.