Coastal Contamination Prevention and Sustainable Fisheries Management

The project objectives are to promote the conservation of biodiversity along the Patagonia coastline and to protect the Patagonia Shelf large marine ecosystem through the prevention and mitigation of coastal pollution and the sustainable management of fisheries resources. To achieve this goal, the project’s components would strengthen institutions and implement priority investments to: (a) address the threats from land-based contamination in the Patagonia coastal area; (b) improve fisheries management policy to prevent overharvesting in the large marine ecosystem, which is adversely affecting marine and coastal biodiversity; and (c) safeguard coastal and marine biodiversity from accident and pollution risks resulting from increased commercial traffic, which carry hazardous substances. The main project outputs are the establishment of an integrated, operational strategy for coastal pollution management; the design and installation of an electronic marine information infrastructure; and the development and implementation of a sustainable fisheries management program. All project components have advanced and the procurement process is coming back on track (about USD2.0 million are expected to be disbursed before the end of CY). The project is successfully strengthening the institutional capability of the Patagonian Provinces as planned. Progress is reported in the 4 provinces. Achievements such as the following have been verified: built capacity in lab analysis of red tide and improvement in oceanographic information in Tierra del Fuego; equipment and training have been provided to measure quality of marine water in Chubut; surveys and equipment have been procured in Rio Begro for oceanographic data in critical areas for fisheries; and educational plan has been developed for the official curricula in Santa Cruz.

All project components have advanced and the procurement process is coming back on track (about USD2.0 million are expected to be disbursed before the end of CY). The project is successfully strengthening the institutional capability of the Patagonian Provinces as planned. Progress is reported in the 4 provinces. Achievements such as the following have been verified: built capacity in lab analysis of red tide and improvement in oceanographic information in Tierra del Fuego; equipment and training have been provided to measure quality of marine water in Chubut; surveys and equipment have been procured in Rio Begro for oceanographic data in critical areas for fisheries; and educational plan has been developed for the official curricula in Santa Cruz.