Today, the second "Entanglement Response Training Workshop" ended in Mar del Plata. It was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship and the International Whaling Commission (IWC), with the support of the Argentine Coast Guard, for which this workshop was arranged.
Whale entanglement is a growing problem in terms of conservation, welfare and human safety. Even though the full extent of its impact is hard to assess, a great number of whales and dolphins die in the world every year owing to entanglement in fishing gear and due to marine debris as well. In addition to the consequences for the welfare of sea mammals, another very important concern is the safety of the people who conduct disentanglement activities.
This three-day workshop was the second one organized by the Foreign Ministry in 2019, and is the third one carried out on this topic in Argentina. It focused on training the Coast Guard, which is the agency that must act these situations. It included training related to data gathering on entangled animals, applicable law, relevant species and practical use of disentanglement tools.
The workshop was led by Leandro Aranha Cortese, a trainer with the Entanglement Response Network of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).