FCM Takes Part in a Coordination Meeting on the Humedales del Río Maullín Nature Sanctuary

On July 23, Fundación Conservación Marina (FCM) took part in a coordination meeting together with the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP) and the environmental team of the Municipality of Puerto Montt, to review the current status and management outlook of the Humedales del Río Maullín Nature Sanctuary.

During the meeting, an update was given on the status of the protected area and the main processes currently under way. SBAP presented the key aspects of the process of homologating the Sanctuary to the new categories established under Law No. 21,600, which created the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service and the National System of Protected Areas.

The meeting also addressed the new enforcement capabilities associated with protected areas and the development of tools to regulate interventions that could cause physical alterations to wetlands.

One of the relevant topics was the possibility of establishing Management Participation Agreements, a mechanism set out in Article 68 of Law No. 21,600. These agreements allow SBAP to establish arrangements with institutions and organizations interested in contributing directly to the conservation and management of protected areas.

These agreements can be developed even during the homologation process, establishing responsibilities, collaborative actions, and mutual benefits among SBAP, the protected area, and participating entities. They can last up to five years, with the possibility of renewal.

For Fundación Conservación Marina, this mechanism represents a relevant opportunity to strengthen the collaborative management of the Sanctuary and to give continuity to the work carried out over the years alongside municipalities, local communities, and other institutions linked to the conservation of the Maullín river wetlands.

The meeting helped strengthen institutional coordination and advance understanding of the new management tools that will accompany SBAP's implementation, opening new opportunities to consolidate the conservation of one of the most important wetland systems in the Los Lagos Region.