Imagine
Chocó
in the Colombian Pacific
is a secluded paradise
covered with a huge green
carpet of rainforest,
bays, inlets, rivers,
mangrove -fringed beaches
and a rich biodiversity.
With its 1,300km long,
the Colombian Pacific
Coast is one of the wettest
regions in the world;
with an immense ecological
and hydrographic wealth.
There,
the humpbacks or better
known as humpback whales
migrate each year more
than eight thousand (8,000)
kilometers from distant
feeding grounds in the
Antarctic Peninsula to
the Pacific coast of Colombia.
When they reach the warm
waters of the Colombian
Pacific, between the months
of June and November they
perform their courtship
and mating acts.
In
March 2015, after a struggle
of more than 20 years
the black communities
of Nuquí (Chocó)
achieved that the government
declared sixty thousand
hectares of the Colombian
Pacific as a Marine Protected
Area under a figure that
will allow them to conserve
and use their natural
resources in a sustainable
manner (DRMI).
However,
the Regional District
of Integrated Management
(DRMI) presents direct
threats not only for coastal
communities that depend
on fishing (70 %) but
also for whales and other
species that migrate each
year to the Colombian
Pacific.
The
Problem
Nuquí,
where there have been
discussions on the construction
of a port in the recently
declared marine area,
it is also home to 90%
of the shrimp fishing
grounds around the country
and one of the main sources
of the Colombian Pacific
fishing with an annual
extraction of at least
750 tons of snapper, tuna,
sea bass and shrimp.
Trammel
fishing also occurs within
the protected area and
it is one of the main
threats to the survival
of mammals, turtles and
seabirds. The problem
is exacerbated by the
time the nets remain in
the water, reducing the
potential for survival.
In
addition, offshore seismic
exploration for oil and
gas, a source of noise
pollution can disturb
the communication of whales
and their mating activities
and migration patterns.
Offshore seismic exploration
began in 2009 on the southern
Pacific coast of Colombia.
The
continuity of seismic
exploration - and the
future of offshore drilling
- could mean the end of
the migration of humpback
whales in this area; and
thus a well-established
ecotourism industry which
supports the fragile local
economy of one of the
poorest regions of Colombia.
What
we want to do
The
"Yubartas" team
traveled to the depths
of the Colombian Pacific
to investigate the main
environmental threats
that occur in the Gulf
of Tribugá (from
Cabo Corrientes to the
National Park Utría).
We documented the majestic
humpback whales in the
southern hemisphere, the
grandeur of the Gulf of
Tribugá and we
managed to get interviews
with various government
agencies, NGOs, fishermen,
leaders and owners of
eco-tourist hotels.
Our
goal through the documentary
is to sensitize Colombian
society (government, civil
society organizations,
businesses and citizens)
and the international
community about the importance
of conserving and protecting
the Pacific. The main
objective is to strengthen
the management of the
marine reserve and to
extend it throughout the
Colombian Pacific. The
role of local communities
is essential. We will
insist on the importance
of whale watching activities
to the coastal communities.
Tourism brings social
and economic development.
At
present, no documentary
in Colombia exposes this
problem.
