Define self-protection and conservation measures for orcas – and also for sailboats. This is what a first update of the safety protocol in relation to these cetaceans, which has already been agreed between the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) and the Lisbon Naval Association (ANL).
This need arises due to the recent incidents, verified off the Portuguese coast, between orcas and sailboats.: one of them, in Sines.
The objective is “that a permanent, dynamic and effective collaboration be created and maintained between the ICNF and the sailing community, aiming to guarantee the conservation of orcas and navigation safety”, explain the entities.
In this context, working meetings were held between the two institutions, which resulted in a first update of the Security Protocol.
Both parties also agreed on the importance of maintaining this working group, and that it can count, whenever necessary, with the involvement of national maritime authorities, the scientific community that studies these phenomena, as well as the entire organized community of sailors.
The meeting also addressed the need to urgently provide sailors with the information already collected by the Orca Atlântica Working Group (GTOA) and the more frequent updating and dissemination of the locations of the most recent interactions on the Facebook pages participated by both entities.
The commitment assumed by both entities involves the search for solutions aimed at the timely detection, monitoring and tracking of groups of orcas along the Portuguese coast, issuing warnings to navigation, among other mechanisms that prevent these interactions, as well as methods and techniques. to adopt, efficient and that avoid damages to people and vessels in case of interactions or incidents with these marine mammals.
Finally, and considering that this subpopulation of orcas that inhabits our seas and whose protection status is critically threatened, the entities agreed to “make every effort to protect and conserve them”.
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