21/09/2005 – WWF's associate
organization, Fundación Vida Silvestre
Argentina (FVSA), has recently acquired land
in Patagonia in the southern Argentinian province
of Chubut. The acquisition of the 7,360ha
San Pablo de Valdés wildlife reserve,
which includes 12km of pristine coastline,
gives FVSA access to management decisions
in the nearby Valdés Peninsula protected
area and UNESCO World Heritage site.
"In this way, FVSA will contribute, with
all the actors involved, to achieve the effective
management and implementation of this unique
area," said Javier Corcuera, FVSA's CEO.
“FVSA and WWF want to ensure that this environmental
jewel shines.”
Peninsula Valdés is marked by its
vibrant coastlines, a stunning array of tall
cliffs, rocky reef and exotic marine mammals,
including the southern elephant seal, sea
lion, southern right whale, and Magellan penguins.
The area is also home to more than 60 species
of birds, as well as several species of terrestrial
mammals, such as the grey fox, guanaco, and
mara.
FVSA will concentrate its efforts on the
effective management of San Pablo de Valdés
through responsible tourism and monitoring
species with high conservation value.
Through a “Save Valdés” project, FVSA-WWF,
in collaboration with the government and local
community, will design and build a visitors
centre in the whale-watching town of Puerto
Pirámides. Other project activities
with partners include a sustainable tourism
plan for Valdés and improving codes
of conduct for whale and dolphin watching.
“We plan on making this reserve a model that
contributes to the conservation of the coastal
and marine environment of Península
Valdés, generating results that could
be potentially reproduced in other zones of
this world-class natural area," added
FVSA's Conservation Director Marcelo Acerbi.
NOTES:
• The acquisition of the San Pablo de Valdés
wildlife reserve was made possible with support
from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery and
WWF-Netherlands.
• WWF began working in Argentina in 1988,
when Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina
(FVSA) became an associate of WWF. Together,
the two organizations hold joint campaigns,
arrange global actions, and execute several
programmes and projects.
• Since 1987, FVSA has established 12 wildlife
refuges covering 55,000ha. Currently, with
the support of WWF, FVSA is working toward
forest landscape restoration in the Atlantic
Rainforest, which is one of the richest forest
habitats in Argentina.
• FVSA is also working to protect Argentina's
largest wetlands, the Iberá Marshes,
from rising water levels due to the Yacyretá
dam. In addition to promoting forest certification
and freshwater conservation, FVSA is involved
in the promotion of energy resource management,
environmental education, and the establishment
of marine and inland-protected areas.
