Estrategia de gestión local para la conservación de cetáceos en los Archipiélagos Patagónicos. Litoral de Aysén. Chile

Abstract: The localities of Raúl MarínBalmaceda (RMB) and Puerto Cisnes participate in an activity called “Participative Census of Cetaceans” (PCC) as an applied participatory research between volunteers, all of who are habitants of the localities in the area of study. During two consecutive summers (2015 and 2016) the activity delivered a large database formed from registered sightings by volunteers and also developed a process of transferred knowledge about this ecosystem service can have for the local development. The results obtained so much by the volunteers as by two different routes from sampling, shows 6 species of cetacean in the area of study, 3 of them more frequently of sighting. The method of participation action allows to work at direct contact with the community and every methodological tool transforms in a concrete action of local impact in conservation of cetaceans. The most important is the definition of good practices sighting applied to the route of navigation of Puerto Cisnes and a second route of not invasive sighting in Raúl Marín Balmaceda. The process ends with the creation of a management platform for the conservation of cetaceans on the coast of Aysén as a pilot project (www.aysenmiraelmar.org). As of now, this is the only platform where locals, investigators, tourist operators and state entities can communicate with one another to manage the conservation of cetaceans in Aysén, as well as having a primary database of importance for the development of scientific investigation of this species. Finally, the expectation is to create a doubly challenging contribution to the conservation of nature: safeguard the species and at the same time maintain (or improve) the quality of life of the local communities linked to the protected wildlife areas.Keywords: Participatory research, conservation, local community, cetacean.