Patagon Journal seminar, cancelling carbón pollution, Mapuche “green Nobel” winner freed
The Patagonian region has been called one of the six “hotspots” on the planet in urgent need of conservation, but industry continues to target the natural resources of the region. As well, the new “Patagonia Parks Route” has been strongly promoted abroad to boost tourism and economic opportunities, without planning or foresight it could destroy the “goose that laid the golden eggs.”
In this context, on July 26, the Patagon Journal seminar “A Sustainable Future for Patagonia” was held at the auditorium of Fundación Espacio Telefónica in Santiago. The event brought together scientists and experts from various disciplines to confront and anticipate the threats and challenges for Chilean Patagonia in the years and decades to come.
In his keynote address, Nicolo Gligo, director of the University of Chile’s Public Policy Analysis Center, referred to the “state’s ineffectiveness” in confronting the multiple threats that the Patagonia region faces. In particular, Gligo highlighted the mining sector, describing the “Mina Invierno” project at Riesco Island as a “act of aggression that should never have been authorized in the Magallanes region.” Gligo concluded by pointing out that 40 years ago there was concern about the same issues that threaten the region today, but now these same environmental problems are much worse. “The
challenge for Patagonia is much greater because its ecosystems are much more fragile than in other regions,” he said.
Tourism planning and overcrowding
In the first panel, Jorge Moller, director of the Chilean nonprofit Regenera and board member of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism (GSTC), analyzed the tourism carrying capacity of places such as Torres del Paine and Cochamó. “Rather than attracting tourists,” he said, “we have to take care of the places we take those tourists.” Providing an analysis of several statistics, he said: “The government currently invests 12 million dollars in promotion, but it must also start investing in tourism planning for the 6 million tourists that come here annually,” he added. Without such planning, Moller warned of the dangers of overcrowding that already has negatively affected many popular destinations, giving examples such as Machu Picchu and recent fatal accidents at the summit of Mount Everest.
Trace Gale, an American researcher with the Patagonia Ecosystem Research Center (CIEP) added that “in the protected wilderness areas of Aysén
“The challenge for Patagonia is a lot harder because its ecosystems are much more fragile than in other regions.”
there is tremendous concern for overtourism” given the significant tourism growth already happening in Chile. “If things are going to change, radical changes have to be made,” she said. According to statistics provided by María José Hess of Friends of Patagonia Parks, Chile cut the budget of its national park service by 20 percent, even though the park system in the country expanded considerably over the past year. Chile is among the top ten for countries with the least investment in biodiversity conservation relative to its annual national income.
The panel closed with a presentation by Tatiana Sandoval, president of the Cochamó Valley Tourism Group, an association of local business owners that have banded together to achieve conservation in the popular Cochamo, which is on privately- owned l ands. She says they have succeeded even though they have zero support from the local government. “We don’t have Conaf, we’re not a protected park, but when there is will, you can do something,” she said.
Other threats
In the second panel, the director of the eco-group CODEFF Aysén, Peter Hartmann, spoke of the Aisén Reserva de Vida coalition, which has promoted diverse initiatives in the Aysén region, such as land-use zoning and a regional energy policy. Hartmann also spoke of the coalition’s victories over megaprojects like Hidroaysén and Alumysa, which he stated had a clear lesson: “When communities unite, get energized, they can do what they set out to do, but you have to work for it.”
Gino Casassa, head of the Glaciology and Snow Unit of the Ministry of Public Works
“More than attract more tourists, we have to take care of the places we take those tourists.”
of Chile, presented the work of their office which studies and monitors the behavior of glaciers. “Glaciers are relevant for a number of reasons: Chile has almost 80 percent of all glaciers in South America, and 80 percent of those glaciers are concentrated in Patagonia,” said Casassa, noting that the rate of melting in Patagonia’s glaciers continues to accelerate due to climate change.
Agustín Iriarte, former director of wildlife for the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service, spoke about exotic, invasive species, which he called “the number one threat to Patagonian fauna.” He said that especially the mink, which were first introduced in Argentina, have now spread all over Chile. “It’s terrible,” said Iriate. “Today, the mink are coming to the Biobío region, and there is a population in Tierra del Fuego, and in Aysén they cover almost the entire region.”
The panel closed with Juan Carlos Cárdenas, executive director of marine protection group, Centro Ecocéanos, who spoke of the damaging consequences that the salmon farming industry is having on the environment. He said the 1,358 concessions granted to salmon farmers and lack of auditing are precipitating a massive decline in water quality in Patagonia, and at the same time has had marginal economic and social benefit. “In Chiloé, after 20 years of intensive production of salmon, it has become the second largest export area worldwide of this product, yet it is one of the three poorest regions of Chile.”