At the southern tip of South America, the Patagonian coastline is characterized by cliffs alternating with pebble beaches, sandy shores, and estuarine ecosystems featuring vast intertidal flats. These habitats provide food for important populations of resident and migratory shorebirds, including Nearctic and Neotropical species. Furthermore, the far south of Patagonia serves as a major non-breeding area and final stopover site for several long-distance Nearctic shorebird migrants such as the Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa), Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica), and White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis). These species coexist with endemics of southern South America, such as the Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellus socialis) and the Magellanic Oystercatcher (Haematopus leucopodus).
Left: Patagonian marshes in Bahía de San Julián. Photo: Diego Luna Quevedo. Right: Mayor of Puerto Santa Cruz, Juan Manuel Borquez, and Diego Luna Quevedo at the event recognizing the Santa Cruz River Estuary as a WHSRN site. Photo: Municipio Puerto Santa Cruz.
Our partners at Asociación Ambiente Sur invited me to collaborate within the framework of the “Good Governance for the Conservation of Neotropical Migratory Birds” project (implemented thanks to a grant from the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, NMBCA). During the last week of October, I had the opportunity to embark on a “governance journey” through Santa Cruz Province.
Together with Germán Montero, Executive Director of Ambiente Sur, we facilitated three governance workshops at three sites of great importance to shorebirds in Argentine Patagonia: the Gallegos River Estuary, the Santa Cruz River Estuary, and San Julián Bay.
On October 28, at the Gallegos River Estuary Interpretation Center, we held the workshop “Progress and Challenges for Coordinating the Estuary Space,” aimed at evaluating governance, identifying areas for improvement, and setting management priorities. In April 2021, this interinstitutional coordination space was established and has maintained an intense and positive management agenda over the past four years. During the workshop, we conducted a governance assessment based on five variables: representativeness, participation, accountability, transparency, and effectiveness. Participants collectively listed the main short-term challenges and priorities for the coordination space.
Participants of the “Strengthening Governance for the Conservation and Management of San Julián Bay” workshop pose with “Rufina.” Photo: Municipio de Puerto San Julián.
On October 30, at the Tourism Office of the Municipality of Puerto Santa Cruz, we conducted the “Actions for Conservation and Management of the WHSRN Santa Cruz River Estuary Site” workshop to agree on actions that strengthen collaborative governance and area management. We defined priorities for management and protection and decided to establish the “Local Estuary Management Committee” as a local coordination body. This committee will involve actors such as the Municipality of Puerto Santa Cruz, the City Council, the Provincial Agrarian Council, the Prefecture and the Army, the National University of Austral Patagonia, the National Parks Administration, the local Yacht Club, and the Provincial Secretariat of Environment. After the workshop, with the participation of Puerto Santa Cruz’s Mayor, Juan Manuel Borquez, and various local institutions, the formal recognition of the Santa Cruz River Estuary as a “WHSRN Site of Regional Importance” was announced due to its hosting more than 1% of the biogeographic population of the Magellanic Oystercatcher (Haematopus leucopodus). This species is present in the area year-round, with high numbers during winter when it gathers in its non-breeding period.
On October 31, at the Hotel Costanera in Puerto San Julián, we held the workshop “Strengthening Governance for the Conservation and Management of San Julián Bay,” aiming to improve management conditions and coordination among the protected areas in the bay. We set priorities for management and protection, and agreed to establish the “San Julián Bay Protected Areas Coordination Committee” as a forum for coordinated management and integrated governance among the three levels of protected areas in the bay (National, Provincial, and Municipal). Invitations will be extended to the local municipality, the Environmental Secretariat, the Provincial Agrarian Council, the Provincial Secretariat of Environment, the Provincial Secretariat of Fisheries, the National Parks Administration, the Argentine Coast Guard, and the National University of Austral Patagonia–San Julián Academic Unit/CONICET.
Our Policy and Governance Specialist, Diego Luna Quevedo, at the Puerto San Julián workshop. Photo: Municipio de Puerto San Julián
Through the “governance journey” that Germán and I undertook, we covered more than 800 km of Argentine Patagonia, building agreements and proposals to strengthen local conservation processes. Behind all the voices and commitments we encountered during that intense week lies a firm conviction to continue preserving those intertidal flats, marshes, coastal grasslands, and deep steppe so that shorebirds can continue to fulfill their life cycles.
For more information on local conservation processes at these sites in Argentine Patagonia, please contact Germán Montero, Executive Director of Asociación Ambiente Sur at orgullo@ambientesur.org.arFor information on workshops and capacity building related to governance issues, please contact Diego Luna Quevedo, Senior Policy and Governance Specialist at Manomet, at diego.luna@manomet.org.
Cover Photo: Magellanic Plover. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
