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Executive Summary of the AALO 2 Project
For its unique biodiversity and high productivity, WWF has
selected the Southern Ocean, covering approximately one
tenth if the world’s oceans, to be included as one of the 35
Priority Places worldwide. The AALO 2 project scope covers
two ecoregions in the Southern Ocean: 1) the Patagonian
Southwest Atlantic and 2) the Antarctic Peninsula and the
Scotia/Weddell Sea Marine Ecoregions.
The Southwest Atlantic continental shelf, covered by the
Patagonian southwest Atlantic marine ecoregion, is one of
the largest shelves in the world at over 1 million km2. Rich
oceanographic conditions allow high productivity and
biodiversity. The coast is characterized by a broad range of
distinct ecosystems and key marine areas, such as key
breeding and feeding areas for e.g. the Southern Right Whale
and highly productive bays and key breeding areas for e.g.
WWF Priority Region: Southern Ocean,
the Franciscana dolphin. The Argentine Sea is home to a
including the two ecoregions Patagonian
broad range of commercially exploited fish stocks, such as
Southwest Atlantic and Antarctic
the Argentinean hake and hoki, and to many other marine
Peninsula and Scotia/Weddell Sea.
species, such as marine mammals, fish, seabirds and top
Source base map Ecoregions: WWF.
predators. The Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia/Weddell Sea
are an integrated part of the 34 million km2 Antarctic continent, representing around a 15% of the
Southern Ocean waters (more than 5 million km2). Many of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean species
are essential components of the trophic web, have global importance as food source for migratory
species of seabirds, fish, and marine mammals from distant areas and/or are commercially important for
fisheries or as major tourist attractions. The Patagonian seas are intrinsically linked to the sub-Antarctic
Islands and the more Antarctic part of the Southern Ocean in various ways: politically, socioeconomically and ecologically through species interactions, the most notable of which is the reliance on
krill as the food source of the Southern right whales that breed at Península Valdes.
The waters and coasts of the Patagonian Southwest Atlantic, the Antarctic Peninsula and the
Scotia/Weddell Sea are not pristine. They are exposed to a broad range of threats caused by human
activities. The main stresses on the conservation and sustainable use of the region are unsustainable
whitefish fisheries (overcapacity, overexploitation, bycatch of juveniles and marine mammals),
uncontrolled whale watching tourism, unsustainable livestock practices, marine shipping and
(developing) oil and gas exoploration and exploitation. These threats result from a broad range of
indirect threats, such as unsustainable whitefish fisheries management (lack of scientific knowledge,
governance, enforcement, control, political will, legal measures and regulatory mechanisms), ineffective
MPA management, a lack of long-term Marine Spatial Management and Planning. Additionally, threats
are often aggravated by currently changing environmental conditions due to the changing climate, while
current management of the Southern Ocean ecosystems does not sufficiently include precautionary
approaches and adaptation measures to account for impacts of climate change.
For over 8 years, Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA) has been working intensively in various
projects to counter these threats and protect the rich ecosystems of Argentina’s oceans and coasts. In
July 2009 an integrated marine conservation project was initiated, called ‘Argentina, Antarctica and their
Living Oceans’ (AALO, FY10-12), which has been supported by WWF Netherlands. The AALO project has
been extensively evaluated, concluding that whereas preliminary effects of the project outputs are
noticeable, impact is generally still limited. The recommendation is for FVSA to continue working in
order to facilitate the achievement of planned results, allowing for multiplication and impact creation.
The recommendations for the successful continuation of the AALO project have been included in the
design of the current ambitious yet focused and realistic follow-up project, called AALO 2, which has
been developed through a thorough and participative process.
The AALO 2 project focuses its conservation efforts on eight conservation targets:
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Key marine regions and areas within the Southern Ocean: 1) the Argentine Sea; 2) the Antarctic
Peninsula and Scotia/Weddell Sea; 3) Península Valdés and 4) Bahía Samborombón;
Key commodity Wild fish: 5) white fish (Argentinean hake and hoki) and 6) forage fish (Antarctic
krill);
The Flagship species Marine cetaceans: 7) the Franciscana dolphin and 8) the Southern Right Whale
The selection of strategies for AALO 2 reflects a clear link between urgency, priorities and action plan.
The project is structured into two Modules: Marine Protected Areas and Marine Spatial Planning
(Module 1), and Sustainable fisheries (Module 2).
Module 1, ‘MPA creation and Marine Spatial Planning’, is divided into 2 core strategies. The first strategy
is directed towards supporting Marine Protected Areas creation and Marine Spatial Planning, both in the
Argentine Sea as well as at the Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia/Weddell Sea. It addresses the various
threats in the Southern Ocean, such as unsustainable fisheries, marine shipping, oil and gas exploration
and exploitation and underlying indirect threats is an integrated approach. The second strategy is
focused on promoting the improvement of the management effectiveness of already existing
coastal/marine Protected Areas, hereby addressing unsustainable productive management practices at
Argentina’s coasts. Additionally, this strategy strongly focuses on the integration of climate change
adaptation measures in management of coastal/marine protected areas.
Module 2, ‘Sustainable Fisheries’, addresses the overall threats within Argentine fisheries, both in
whitefish and Antarctic krill fisheries. The module is divided into a few core strategies. The first strategy
focuses on supporting effective governance of Argentinean fisheries, especially hake and hoki, for which
Ecosystem Based Management is being promoted. The second strategy is directed towards the
promotion of sustainable fisheries policies for Antarctic krill, by including EBM and climate change
adaptation measures in krill fisheries management. The third strategy aims to develop and increase
market incentives for sustainable Argentine fisheries by focusing on MSC, international sustainable
sourcing and private finance institutions, hereby strengthening the governance strategy for Argentine
whitefish. The fourth strategy focuses on mitigation of bycatch of the Franciscana dolphin.