Blue Corridors of the Eastern Pacific: Opportunities and Actions for the protection of Migratory Whales

Connectivity conservation is a concept that recognizes that species survive and adapt better when their habitats are managed and protected as large, interconnected networks. The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, and its Marine Connectivity Working Group, define connectivity conservation as the action of individuals, communities, institutions and businesses to maintain, enhance and restore ecological flows, species movement and dynamic processes across intact and fragmented environments. In essence, this is what our report seeks to achieve, and in applying these lessons learned on land to our seas, protect migratory whales into the future. Protecting the Eastern Pacific Blue Corridors for whales requires a holistic strategy, one that engages multiple international and regional organizations responsible for formulating policies across a range of areas and industries, from fisheries to shipping, among them the International Whaling Commission (IWC) , the International Maritime Organization (IMO), regional fisheries management organizations, and international conservation agreements such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.