Projects

Fundacion Omacha - Update

Global Ocean continues to support Fundacion Omacha, helping to build upon their previous work and promote national action plans as part of the overarching Action Plan for River Dolphins in South America (completed in 2010).

Image courtesy of Fernando Trujillo The aim is to combine efforts between countries (Colombia, Peru and Bolivia) to develop good dolphin watching practices, strengthen the implementation of the South American Action Plan and provide valuable tools for the conservation of these species.

Specific aims:

To develop a regional program to promote good dolphin watching practices in tourism activities in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia
To strengthen the Action Plan for River Dolphins in South America publishing an executive summary in Spanish for governments, stakeholders and local people.
To make a video focusing on the problems around the mota fishery in the Amazon and its impact on river dolphin populations as a tool for conservation.
To promote the conservation of the flooded forest trough a video of these aquatic ecosystems and implementing tree planting in key areas of lakes where the forest is being destroyed.

Regional program to promote good dolphin watching practices

During 2009 and 2010 OMACHA ran three workshops of good dolphin watching practices in Colombia with almost 75% of all tourists guides in the area of Leticia, Puerto Nariño and Caballo Cocha (Peru). The interest of undertaking these training courses is motivated by the high economic value of river dolphins for tourism, which can be one of the most powerful tools for their conservation in many South American countries.

OMACHA now aim to provide the same training courses in Peru and Bolivia with key partners. In Peru, Foundation Omacha has an agreement with DIREPRO (Ministry of Production) to undertake conservation initiatives such as fishery agreements and management of aquatic mammals (river dolphins and manatees). In Bolivia, Foundation Omacha has been working with FAUNAGUA, Noel Kempt Museum and independent research Enzo Aliaga setting different initiatives for river dolphin conservation, including the National Action Plan.

Mota campaign

During the last five years OMACHA have been working with governments and fishermen to stop the deliberate killing of river dolphins in the Amazon. However, the general public and many stakeholders are unaware of this important threat to river dolphins. For this reason OMACHA need to address efforts in make a video presenting this situation. The video will include filming in the River Magdalena (Colombia) where originally was catch the Capaz fish and also in the Amazon region (Peru, Colombia and Brazil). The video will be distributed in social networks and in specific governmental organizations.

Flooded Forest

OMACHA aim to continue planting trees in key areas such as lakes to recover the flooded forest. With this in mind they have a plant nursery in Puerto Nariño town where they grow up at least 20 different native trees which are very important for the flooded forest. OMACHA aim to plant at least 8.000 trees per year in the flooded forest and help the recovery of fish stocks.

Read the recent article in the New York Times about the Mota fishery and the killing of river dolphins HERE