Francis presents the Marine Mammals Management Toolkit to 30 MPA managers from South America

Francis presents the Marine Mammals Management Toolkit to 30 MPA managers and NGO members from a diverse range of Spanish-speaking countries from South America as part training on MPA management effectiveness.

On September 23rd, 2022, Francis presented the Marine Mammals Management Toolkit to almost 30 MPA managers and NGO members from a diverse range of Spanish-speaking countries from South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Chili, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Blue Whale Center , WCS Chile…) in an online meeting. This presentation was part of the training on MPA management effectiveness co-organised by the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence (Foro para la Conservación del Mar Patagónico y Áreas de Influencia) and the Ocean Governance Twinning Networks.

After short introductions by Alexa Sapoznikow (Foro para la Conservación del Mar Patagónico y Áreas de Influencia) and Puri Canals (EU Ocean Governance 4 MPAs), Francis delivered a detailed presentation of the toolkit. He stressed that the goal of the toolkit is not to put a ranking on a given MPA, but rather to serve as a checklist that helps to understand the weaknesses and successes of MPA management.

He also introduced the new light version of the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT-LITE), which only takes one hour and allows users to get a first idea about the tool before committing to the full-length procedure. Further, he presented the Community of Practice (which will be launched shortly), a group that will unite all users of the Toolkit and gives them the opportunity to exchange on marine mammals’ management. The presentation ended with a round of questions, which demonstrated the interest of the participants. Several participants committed to trying the tool.

Find out more about the Marine Mammals Toolkit here: www.marine-mammals.info