Community whale watching in a community-managed marine protected area on Colombia’s Pacific Coast
The Community Managed Gulf of Tribugá – Cabo Corrientes Marine Protected Area is an important breeding ground for humpback whales in Colombia’s Pacific Coast. Whale watching tourism is one of the main economic activities that benefit local communities. However, informal activities and the lack of enforcement of whale watching practices may threaten the whales.
This IKI Small Grants project promotes conservation based on sustainable whale watching strategies. The project develops a knowledge dialogue-based training program for tourism operators within the Gulf for applying sustainable whale watching. It further supports setting up one or more whale watching community organisations. Moreover, a communications campaign raises awareness of sustainable tourism and responsible whale watching practices in marine protected areas. The project’s results contribute to the ‘Pacific Strategy’ launched by the organisation, to promote sustainable use of natural resources and protect biodiversity.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
IKI Small Grants supports ICUE in their organisational capacity development through
- Training program to update staff on fundraising and project management
- Training on Carbon Sequestration Applied to Coastal and Marine Environments
- Training on sustainable tourism managment
ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
The organisation has extensive experience in marine and coastal projects for marine conservation, research and education. It addresses various topics, including marine biodiversity conservation, coastal ecosystem management, renewable marine energy and blue carbon sinks. The projects were carried out in close collaboration with local communities, government institutions and national and international organisations, and the Corporation Center of Excellence in Marine Sciences promotes sustainable use and protection of marine resources while contributing to generating marine science knowledge. To achieve these goals, the organisation develops its capacity in scientific project management and actively contributes to the fight against environmental change due to climate change.