Azores, Portugal by Raphael Lopes / Unsplash+
Governments and conservation NGOs celebrated the passing of a resolution to create the world’s most ambitious marine sanctuary.
Cleverly-named “Macronesia,” the area in the northeastern Atlantic would protect 32 species of whales and dolphins, making it one of the most significant migratory routes on Earth.
The announcement followed a resolution made at the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress which took place last month. IUCN is the world’s leading international agency for the purposes of conservation—a sort of NATO or UN for protecting species and landscapes.
The resolution passed with 96.5% of all possible votes, establishing the framework for the Macaronesia Sanctuary, consisting of the waters surrounding the Azores, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, and Madeira, in the Atlantic Ocean.
The concept of Macronesia and the subsequent resolution to establish it was spearheaded by a Canarian conservation NGO called Loro Parque Fundación. Founded by a German biologist, Loro Parque Fundación has undertaken conservation projects all around the world, saving 18 species from extinction over the course of 3 decades.
But founder Wolfgang Kiessling never took his eyes off the most substantial inspiration—the concept of a Macronesia Sanctuary, which he shared with renowned German marine biologist, Petra Deimar.
“The Macaronesia Sanctuary represents a shared aspiration between science, institutions, and society,” said Kiessling in a statement. “Its approval by the IUCN demonstrates that international cooperation remains the most powerful tool we have to safeguard ocean biodiversity.”
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The sanctuary aims to protect whales from a variety of anthropogenic harms, including entanglement from fishing gear, ship strikes, underwater noise pollution, and deep-sea mining.
84% of all species of dolphins and whales in the Atlantic pass through Macronesia, making it as significant a site worthy of protection as could be found anywhere in the ocean.
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Along with support from national governments, in 2024, Oceanographic reports that all public universities across the Macaronesia nations signed the Marine Biodiversity Manifesto, a research and training alliance promoted by Loro Parque Fundación to support marine conservation initiatives in the region.
How the sanctuary will be established, including whose authority will enforce the protections and how it will be funded, haven’t been determined.
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