National Meeting on Marine Mammals in the Dominican Republic

National Meeting on Marine Mammals in the Dominican Republic

NATIONAL MEETING ON MARINE MAMMALS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

June 29, 2009

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD)

Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE)

In collaboration with:Environmental Advisory and Marine Technology (ATEMAR)

INTRODUCTION

The Dominican Republic has numerous mammal species in its territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone. This group of magnificent animals has attracted attention in our country for decades and has provoked numerous scientific research projects and many actions on the part of conservationists.

All of the sea mammals (whales, dolphins and manatees) are protected by the country's environmental laws. Notwithstanding, development and some ongoing human activities have had a serious impact on the populations of these mammals.

Due to the critical state of these mammals and their importance to the country and the world and in keeping with the June celebrations such as World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 7), Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE)are organizing a National Meeting on Marine Mammals. The meeting will take place on June 29, 2009. It will include a Scientific Day and will be followed by a panel discussion in which representatives from related sectors will summarize the work that has been done during recent years and will contribute to the design of a three-year conservation and sustainable-use strategy of these mammals for a period of 3 years, which will ensure their survival for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.

Meeting objectives:

  • Promotion of the Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Environment
  • Raise awareness of the threats facing whales and dolphins and of their economic value in terms of their role in nature and in the ecological tourism industry
  • Unite experts in order to promote scientific study and formulate a three-plan conservation plan
  • Affirm a national conservation and sustainable development policy
  • Encourage research to establish levels of contamination found in our waters at the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic
  • Examine benign research techniques appropriate for the Dominican Republic

BACKGROUND

The humpback whale (megaptera novaeangliae) travels every year from the temperate latitudes of Massachusetts and Maine in the US, Terranova in Canada, Greenland, Iceland and northern Europe to the waters of the Dominican Republic to reproduce between the months of December through April. Of all the whales that make this trip, 85% come to the areas near Bancos de la Plata, Navidad and the Bay of Samaná, leaving the remaining 15% to migrate to the rest of the major and minor AntillesIslands of the Caribbean. As such, our waters represent the ideal atmosphere for the reproduction of this species, making this area the densest gathering of a whale species in the world. Due to these conditions, the La Plata Bank National Marine Sanctuary was created on October 14, 1986.

This sanctuary was the first of its kind to respond exclusively to the conservation interests of the Dominican Republic, unlike its predecessor in the Indian Ocean that was created with the goal of managing international captures. As a result, and without ever having captured a whale or a dolphin in the recorded history of the Dominican Republic, we demonstrated our progressive attitude toward conservation.

The La Plata Bank National Marine Sanctuary later influenced the creation of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in the US, which has registered some 1,600 humpback whales, of the more than 10,000 that migrate to our coasts.

Acknowledging the importance these two sanctuaries represent to the survival of the humpback whale and to relations between our two countries, in 2007, the Sister Mammal Sanctuaries of the Dominican Republic and Stellwagen Bank was formed. This was made possible through the hard work of many organizations and institutions from both countries including Fundemar in the Dominican Republic and NOAA in the US.

The sister organization essentially represents a conservation agreement between both countries. Both countries combine conservationist efforts, research and economic resources in the sanctuaries without losing their jurisdiction and sovereignty. This initiative is an innovative and intelligent form of conservation which allows both countries to work towards a common cause while maintaining sovereignty over their marine territories.

NECESSARY APPROACHES

The majority of countries around the world represented in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have agreed to a moratorium on the catching of large whales (blue and gray whales, humpback, sperm whales, fin and bowhead whales, sei, brydes and minke whales) for a period of 10 years, renewable. This indicates to us that all these large whale species are in critical danger. In addition, if we take into account the activities of anthropic origin such as pollution of the oceans, commercial maritime traffic, and whale hunting and capturing led by Japan, we can only conclude that the dangers facing whales today are diverse and widespread.

If we take into account the benefits offered by whale watching for a developing country as a novel form of eco-tourism, this meeting can also be oriented toward the reaffirmation of the importance of both sanctuaries and the country's commitment to the international community in terms of protection of these species.

Another threatened marine mammal whose survival is cause for concern is the manatee of the Antilles (trichechus manatus manatus). There are only a very few of these animals in existence. It is estimated that only 50-60 of these manatees were counted in the recent inventories carried out in the Dominican Republic. As a consequence, we are dealing with a species that is at the brink of extinction. At the event, we intend to call attention to this in an effort to protect the species.

SCEINTIFIC WORK DAY

The Scientific Work Day will be organized during the day and evening of June 29that FUNGLODE headquarters in Santo Domingo. Researchers, conservationists and those related to the world of sea mammals will be invited to present one or two 10-15 minute statements. Statements will be organized into sessions corresponding to the preliminary topics described below:

  1. Scientific research and conservation of whales in the Dominican Republic
  2. Research and protection of dolphins in the Dominican Republic
  3. Current state of manatees in the Dominican Republic
  4. Conservations of marine mammals in the Dominican Republic
  5. Whales and dolphins as instruments of environmental education
  6. Non-lethal use of marine mammals
  7. Tourism connected to whales and dolphins in the Dominican Republic- current state and development perspectives
  8. International cooperation and marine mammals in the Dominican Republic
  9. The role of the Dominican Republicin the global protection of marine mammals
  10. Marine Mammal Sanctuaries – current status and perspectives
  11. National Research Plan for marine mammals in the Dominican Republic
  12. The National Commission of Marine Mammals – proposal development
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