Conservation success in Salvador
Stories
In Salvador, various institutions join efforts to protect the whales and work with the local community to ensure a peaceful coexistence.
Salvador has been part of the whale-watching tourism route since the launch of the Salvador Whales Project (Projeto Baleias Soteropolitanas, in Portuguese) by the National Marine and Coastal Conservation Network (Redemar, Portuguese acronym), in partnership with the Salvador Port Authority and the Bahia State Tourism Board.
Redemar has developed a Humpback Whale Monitoring Project, conducting studies on the interaction, public awareness and behaviour of the whales in relation to various coastal activities, ensuring a balance between the use of the area and the protection of this species.
Redemar has also been working towards making whale watching a more professional activity, through standardization and certification. They offer free guidance on responsible whale watching, in accordance with national whale-watching regulations, to the fishermen’s community in Itapuã as well as other tour operators. The NGO also engages directly with small-scale fishing activities, both in Itapuã and Rio Vermelho, highlighting the importance of coexisting harmoniously with whales and the benefits that such a respectful relationship will bring to small-scale fishing activities (for example, by explaining that whales fertilise the oceans and, consequently, increase the biomass of marine life). Redemar speaks to the fishing communities and organises environmental education events in collaboration with the Bahia State Department of Tourism.
In collaboration with the Brazilian Environment Agency, Redemar has produced an educational video explaining responsible whale-watching practices and key aspects of whale biology and ecology. It presents scientific information in an accessible format for the general public.