EMPOWERING WHALE CONSERVATION COMMUNITIES

Location: Santa Catarina Nursery, Brazil OR Cabo Pulmo, Mexico

Funding Request: $15,000

This project will establish a new Whale Heritage Area (WHA) and a candidate area in Mexico or Brazil that will promote local stewardship, fostering collaboration amongst diverse stakeholders for shared conservation goals. In Brazil, a WHA will enhance the protection of the Southern Right Whale nursery ground while in Mexico it will support the responsible development and monitoring of whale watching. To amplify their tangible impact, we will also launch a global online community where all WCA partners and WHAs can collaborate and share best practices on a global stage.

The Issue:

1 in 4 cetacean species are now threatened with extinction. Overfishing, entanglement, vessel collisions, plastic pollution, unsustainable tourism, and whaling are just some of the threats faced. The loss of these species significantly impacts biodiversity, deprives us of crucial allies in combating climate change, and threatens coastal communities' livelihoods and cultural heritage. Many of the world’s cetaceans live close to shore and the threats they face are often co-located with tourism, fishing, shipping, resource exploitation activities and so on. But protecting cetaceans is a complex task. The multitude of threats, their migratory nature, and the global scale mean that effective solutions require effective, cross- boundary collaboration to drive impact. A lack of cohesion and collaboration among those making a positive difference remains, hindering effective solutions.

Grant Award Use:

The ATCF funding will be utilized to meet a growing need expressed by WCA partners to develop and launch an online community platform that empowers grassroots partners to collaborate, share best practices, and collectively amplify their conservation impact. This digital infrastructure will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and resources, ensuring that WHAs operate effectively and sustainably. A stronger community supports growth in new WHAs and the funding will also support the establishment of new WHAs at pace, particularly in areas where we have existing engagement.

What Would a Successful Project Result In?

The success of this project is two fold: the launch of a new Whale Heritage Area and candidate area which address relevant local threats to cetaceans through collaborative community action, and an online community platform that enables us to connect and enhance conservation efforts globally.