The project is in its last phase and should be finished soon. Several deaths and serious illnesses among the families of the project leaders, as well as a particularly hard winter, delayed progress. The project coordinator and outside experts have completed a preliminary management plan for the protected area; they just added additional information from a consultant anthropologist. Community members have also been meeting with artisanal fishermen’s organizations to discuss the MPA.

The project is progressing well, although more slowly than the community had planned. Bad weather hampered access to the island during the winter, and in October the leader of the community died, halting the project for almost two months. In December, our field representative Claudio Delgado met with the project coordinator and the experts helping to prepare the plan. They have completed a preliminary management plan for the protected area.

The community has made good progress on the management plan, according to our field representative Claudio Delgado. They have identified natural and cultural conservation objects in the area, and representatives of the indigenous communities have formed a management committee and meet monthly to keep progress on track. They have chosen equipment for surveillance for the area and will start buying it next month.

Koldita community members have begun working on the management plan, holding workshops to identify the primary threats to and conservation goals for the protected area. A technical team will evaluate these results in terms of validity and feasibility. Work on the project stopped temporarily in November and part of December while indigenous communities were occupied with several cultural activities.

Seacology Field Representative Claudio Delgado visited the communities in June to get to know the community members and project team better. Claudio, the project coordinator, a marine biologist, and an anthropologist spent eight hours touring the project boundaries by boat, observing the salmon and mussel farming operations that threaten the environment and getting a feel for the rich marine biodiversity. Claudio also met with local families and with Koldita leader Juan Belasio LLankalahuen, who guided the group. Claudio also held a workshop to share his professional experience in designing effective conservation plans.

Koldita community members have met twice and are assembling a team to work on the management plan. Seacology’s Chile Field Representative Claudio Delgado plans to visit the island soon, at the community’s invitation.