According to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Burdwood Bank is rich with endemic species and serves as an important feeding ground for sea lions, penguins, albatross and other marine life. WCS also said that the area is also a breeding site for southern blue whiting and Fuegian sardine and supports unique hard and soft coral species.
WCS explained that the Argentine Fisheries Secretary permanently banned all fishing activities in the area, including bottom trawling, on September 26th, 2008. Experts believe that the measure is strict but important to ensure good health of Argentina. Armed with sound science, Consejo Federal Pesquero has taken a big step in ensuring sustainability in Argentina’s fishing industry by protecting Burdwood Bank,” said Dr. Claudio Campagna, of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Sea and Sky Program, an initiative that seeks to sustainably manage the Patagonian Large Marine Ecosystem.
Dr Claudio Campagna told that with the protection of this small, but critical area, the ocean is better able to replenish what we take from it, and equally important, Argentina’s unique biodiversity is preserved. According to WCS the Patagonian Large Marine Ecosystem sustains some of the southern hemisphere’s richest marine resources, which is important both for the Argentine economy and the region’s ecology.
