Enzo Aliaga Rossel
Other projects
8 Oct 2013
Bolivian River Dolphin (bufeo) Conservation; A Unique and Vulnerable Aquatic Mammal in Need of Protection in Fresh Water Rivers and Lakes of the Bolivian Amazon
21 Sep 2015
Promoting Well-Managed, Educational River Dolphin Watching as a Positive Conservation Tool and New Source of Income for Amazon Communities. Part I
The bufeo or Bolivian river dolphin (Inia boliviensis), is threatened by several human activities including deliberate killing, and habitat degradation.
This project is a continuation of successful previous project supported by Rufford. The project not only contributes to river dolphin conservation, but also supports two Municipal Protected Areas in Bolivia: Pampas del Yacuma (In Santa Rosa) and Ibare-Mamore (Municipality of Trinidad) – by promoting bufeo conservation action, and also local community participation to increase bufeo awareness and protection will be encouraged through education (to kids and adults) and outreach activities. Basic research but also the project will continue promoting good tourism practices in the observation of this cetacean. The ongoing results of this program are very encouraging, opening new alternatives for the local communities and river dolphin conservation.
I am working with river dolphin conservation and research since 1998. In the last years I have been working with local indigenous communities and the local Government to protect the river’s biodiversity and fragile ecosystem, and change their negative attitudes towards nature, environmental education campaigns with rural schools and by using ecotourism as a conservation tool.
Thanks to Rufford we were able to settle the foundations for the implementation of effective conservation measures. Well conducted tourism is an important incentive and a tool of conservation. The development of ethical ecotourism featuring river dolphins has been a success in neighbouring countries. I want to promote good practices in bufeo watching operations, in both PAs as a positive conservation tool and income generator for poor communities. As Bolivian communities begin to understand the financial rewards of protecting local wildlife and running good practice dolphin-watch tours, so their commitment to protecting the bufeos will grow.
With collaboration of the team and students, we will perform workshops directed to adults and authorities, usually are mainly presentations with frequent conversation and discussion among the assistants. In these way we can also get some information on threats and other important aspects on the perception of people in the area.
While we discuss the most important conservation issues for the river dolphin and its habitat.
For kids: Environmental talks and participatory events such as puppet performances with an environmental theme in communities in the PAs and the selected towns. We will continue to run interactive and lively classroom sessions about bufeos, their habitat and threats they face. After each presentation we give the school education materials and a certificate of “River guardians”.
Project outcomes will directly support ‘National Bolivian River Dolphin Conservation Plan’ objectives. The success of the work will be reflected in a higher protection and active participation of Authorities in the municipal Protected Areas.
The tour operators and touristic companies in the PA's will follow and implement all the guidelines presented in the different workshops. In a long term, certain areas receive higher protection, therefore, the pressure on river dolphins and other wildlife are reducing.