Chile advances in the conservation of the ocean: Tic Toc-Gulf Corcovado Marine Park is created

The new park has a maritime space of 1,019.16 km2 and adjoins relevant protected terrestrial environments on the mainland, such as the Corcovado National Park and other protected areas.

By South slope.-It is estimated that at least 10% of the world population of blue whales are present in the Gulf of Corcovado. And that is no accident. The region that houses this part of Austral Chile has unparalleled biological richness, a large presence of krill -vital for the survival of these cetaceans-, and a high level of pristineness. It is the result of a combination of unique oceanographic and climatic variables.

This explains why in that area a significant number of humpback and sei whales are observed -in addition to blue ones-, and Chilean dolphins. There are also chungungos, sea lions and colonies of sea birds such as penguins, cormorants and shearwaters.

At the beginning of the Corcovado Gulf is the new Tic Toc Marine Park. The creation of this area of ​​the Chiloense ecoregion -located in front of Quellón, in the Los Lagos Region- was approved by the Council of Ministers for Sustainability in December 2021 and in June of this year the Comptroller General of the Republic took reason for your statement. It is expected that next week it will be published in the Official Gazette.

The new park has a maritime space of 1,019.16 km2 and adjoins relevant protected terrestrial environments on the mainland, such as the Corcovado National Park to the east, and the Melimoyu National Park and the AMCPMU Pitipalena Añihué immediately adjacent to the south, in the limit with the Aysén region.

This area is also of global importance because it is located in an area where two relevant currents for the Southeast Pacific are generated. On the other hand, in its most coastal part it is influenced by fjord and canal systems, which are scarce on a global scale and have a low local representation in the national system of marine protected areas.

The Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, pointed out that “with the creation of this marine park near the continental edge, a milestone is marked in the work for the establishment of the network of coastal marine protected areas on the continental edge.” She added that “it contributes to the construction of the Pacific marine corridor announced by President Gabriel Boric at the Summit of the Americas.”

The stadium secretary also explained that “this is very good news because, in addition, this is a very important area because it protects, among other things, a place where blue whales breed and feed.”