Biologist Kerstin Forsberg, who has worked for nearly a decade to save giant manta rays, knows that the survival of these spectacular ocean creatures does not depend on her, but on the local populations of her native Peru. Social leaders, fishermen, children. That’s why she works to empower them.
“What the organization Planet Ocean he seeks to conserve the sea, but through people; empowering people through research, environmental education and sustainable development,” said Forsberg, who since 2014 has been working to preserve giant rays and other species in Peruvian waters.
Giant manta rays, listed as globally endangered, have fallen prey to those who seek your meat and highly coveted gills. But they also faced, and continue to face, another major threat, which is accidental capture: fishermen cast their nets in search of other species and they are caught in the process.
This is how Forsberg explains: “We saw that manta rays tend to stay on the surface a lot, and this generates a greater interaction with the fishing nets, and they end up getting tangled up. This generates an impact for her, which in the end ends up dying. And it also has an impact on artisanal fishermen.”
That’s why Planeta Oceano, founded by Forsberg, is now helping fishermen through an app called EarthRanger, developed by the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
“We are equipping artisanal fishermen with cell phones so that they can not only report their catches in real time, but also report sightings, not just of giant manta rays, but also of other species of marine megafauna such as whale sharks, sea turtles , birds, marine mammals that we see a lot”, explains Forsberg.
In this way, fishermen can alert their colleagues where specimens of these species live and prevent them from falling into their nets by mistake. In addition, these reports make it possible to generate maps of critical areas for the preservation of giant rays, one of the most iconic among the approximately 540 species of rays that inhabit oceans, freshwater bodies and reefs, according to WWF organization data.
For the biologist, it is remarkable how artisanal fishermen are appropriating technology for their work. They, in turn, benefit from this extra care, as manta rays, Antón Matallana said, damage the nets they need to fish and repair is very expensive.
The mission: connect
Forsberg, originally from Peru, loves to swim with the rays. “It transforms you. An encounter with a stingray, an encounter with the ocean in general, transforms you”, she says of this spectacular species that reaches seven meters in length and swims up to 1,000 meters deep. For her, seeing a ray swimming is life, it’s movement, it’s hope.
However, that is not the focus of his work right now. The focus of his work can be summed up in one word: connect.
“My role is to connect. What I seek is to connect. Connecting the artist with the student, connecting the scientist or the one who is generating technology with the fisherman, connecting the authorities with the young people who are generating change. Generate that space to connect,” she explains.
Through these connections, she works with local leaders who are, in her opinion, the key to sustainable change. Through them, she points out, communities can become stronger and generate a multiplier effect of good deeds.
Ocean: support of our life
The oceans, as explained by the UN Environment Program, drive the systems that make Earth habitable. They affect the climate, much of our food and even the oxygen we need to breathe. The entire planet depends on its conservation.
“It is the source of life on this planet. None of us could be alive if there weren’t an ocean. The ocean is the support of our life. And we still know very little about it”, reflects the conservationist. Therefore, he concludes, we must all do our part for his city. “We are all part of this Planet Ocean”.
*Editor’s Note: Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to raise awareness and education on key sustainability issues and inspire positive action. Biologist Kerstin Forsberg is a laureate of the Rolex Prize.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
