Objectives and Activities

GENERAL OBJECTIVE: Promote the whale watching ecotourism activity as a model of sustainable economic development by the protection and conservation of resident groups of cetaceans in marine protected areas and of special interest for the activity, and its enhancement as natural heritage of the Macaronesia.

Specific Objective 1: Evaluate possible anthropogenic risk factors that affect the conservation of groups of cetaceans residing in SAC areas of interest for whale watching activity, using the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) as indicator species.

– Activity 2.1.1: Eco-health study of groups of resident cetaceans, mainly bottlenose dolphins and short-finned pilot whales, in the Macaronesia, and oceanographic and anthropic use of the environment studies, in reference to the marine areas where they reside.

– Activity 2.1.2: Integration of eco-health, oceanographic and anthropic use of the environment data obtained to evaluate possible risk factors that affect the conservation of existing groups of cetaceans in the Macaronesia.

– Activity 2.1.3: Promotion of scientific and administrative cooperation between the different actors related to the health management of marine species in the region, as well as support in the creation and/or implementation of infrastructures for the health surveillance of cetaceans and other threatened marine species.

Specific Objective 2: Disseminate the natural heritage that the diversity of cetacean species in the region represents for the Macaronesia, as well as raise awareness about the importance of protecting and conserving the marine areas where they reside.

– Activity 2.2.1: Development of didactic material adapted for whale watching companies and for educative community on the Natural Heritage that the diversity of cetacean species existing in the Macaronesia represents for this region, and the importance of protecting and conserving the marine areas where they reside.

– Activity 2.2.2: Carrying out information, dissemination and awareness campaigns in relation to the cetacean species existing in the Macaronesia, as well as the importance of protecting and conserving the marine areas where they reside, aimed at both the local population and visitors.

– Activity 2.2.3: Strengthening of citizen science platforms, aimed at the population in general, in order to disseminate the cetacean species existing in the Macaronesia, collaborate in their monitoring and raise awareness of the importance of protecting and conserving marine areas where they reside

Specific Objective 3: Promote the enhancement of the whale watching ecotourism activity as a model of sustainable economic development in the Macaronesian region.

– Activity 2.3.1: Organization of knowledge transfer workshops aimed at increasing the sustainability from the economic and environmental point of view of the whale watching activity in the Macaronesia.

– Activity 2.3.2: Strategic analysis of the ecotourism sector associated with the whale watching activity aimed at the development, harmonization and strengthening of actions that increase the value of mentioned activity, as well as the sustainability of the environmental resource on which it depends.

– Activity 2.3.3: Promotion of administrative, business and scientific cooperation between the different actors related to the whale watching ecotourism activity in the Macaronesia.