Why to protect top predators? The value of seabirds and marine mammals on the social-ecological seascape in the Beagle Channel

ANDREA RAYA REY; LUCIANA RICCIALDELLI; NATALIA A. DELLABIANCA; SABRINA HARRIS; GABRIELA SCIOSCIA; M. NATALIA PASO VIOLA; SAMANTA G. DODINO; ANALIA A. SAN MARTIN; NICOLÁSLOIS; ULISES BALZA; YAMILA A. BECKER; MÓNICA A. TORRES

Conferencia; United States Section of the International Association for Landscape Ecology 2018 Annual Meeting; 2018

Seabirds and marine mammals are known to be important components of the seascape and for the economies of coastal cities mainly trough tourism. A cornerstone of environmental policies and social-ecological systems management is to identify nature (species) intrinsic, instrumental and relational values. Seabirds and marine mammals´ intrinsic and instrumental values are at some point well recognized while relational values, strongly tight to specific communities, had not received much attention. Environmental initiatives and individual community stewardship, though, would benefit if leveraging social relationships. In the present study we seek to identify instrumental, intrinsic and relational values for the seabird and marine mammals as integral part of the seascape of the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Seabird (15 species) and marine mammals (8 species) inhabit the Beagle Channel all of them of highly intrinsic value, species and genetic diversity and animal welfare. 19 out of 23 species are very important for the seascape formation, biological control and waste breakdown and detoxification as important members of the food web with high abundance in the channel. Most of them are also a source of inspiration, physical, mental and emotional health. For the first human inhabitants they have a strong symbolic meaning, and were relevant for social cohesion and cultural identity. Such valuation will provide not only powerful arguments for marine wildlife conservation, but for management and governance strategies toward the maintenance of the social-ecological system around the Beagle Channel