The discovery of a colony of endemic Juan Fernández fur seals sixty years ago marked the start of efforts to protect the area. Last week, the 1,000-strong community of mainly lobster fishers celebrated a new conservation win: the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, signed a historic agreement to extend protection of 337,000 sq km of the waters around Juan Fernández and the nearby Nazca-Desventuradas marine park. Max Bello, Blue Marine Foundation’s Global MPA Specialist, said “It is heartwarming to see the wishes of this unique and special community, many of whom I have known for over 20 years, rewarded for their commitment and perseverance by the Chilean government.”
We are now working closely with the new government to ensure this decree is implemented.
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Image credit © Andy Mann
