|
The first research and conservation work in marine mammals around the world began over 50 years ago. Nevertheless, it isn’t until recent years in which the human being has realized the importance of these species for the life in the sea, and the life in our planet. Different institutions around the world have been dedicated to the conservation of the environment, and some of those have integrated research on these species in their environment with medical rehabilitation, promoting ecological conscience through education and participation of the general public. ORCA is the only organization in Peru with this philosophy of vanguard, directed to marine mammals that inhabit the South Pacific.
South America has the unique opportunity to develop a society in harmony with the environment in the frame of global integration. Ecological responsibilities that come out from development and technology can be considered as part of development of a community or country. Most of the developed nations have been forced to adapt themselves to major ecological crisis generated by the uncontrolled development over the past century. However for South America, this century brings with it the chance to accomplish ecological aims together with goals for financial development, preventing the same ecological and financial disasters that have affected the developed nations through history. These problems are beginning to appear in countries like Peru. We are in time to prevent them.
Foundation
The Organization for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Animals - ORCA - was born on December 6th of the year 2000, as an initiative of its Founder President, Dr. Carlos Francisco Yaipen-Llanos, who through the years has gathered, trainned and lead an specialized team of professionals and students from different disciplines, both from Peru and abroad, to dedicate and develop the ideal of rescue, education, science and conservation of marine mammals in the Eastern South Pacific.
Our first support came from Alas Peruanas University with facilities within the Veterinary Medicine School in Lima, Peru. At the same time, an incentive Grant-in-Aid from the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) became the first funding achievement. Our scientific background was provided by the specialized trainning obtained through Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A, and The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, U.S.A. Our outreach started since the beginning, by trainning students and by representing Peruvian marine mammals at the world-wide Biennial Conferences on the Biology of Marine Mammals organized by the Society for Marine Mammalogy around the world.
The importance of ORCA comes from the need to understand our environment promoting activism and to protect it use it in a way that benefits all the species involved. So little is known about marine mammals, and their environment, that much of what we learned about their nature has been learned too late, when too much has been lost already. Recent studies have demonstrated the constant presence of stranded marine mammals as victims of human impact, over exploitation of the sea, fishing nets, pollution, poisoning, gunshots, clubbing and diseases. Through conservation, rescue, rehabilitation, and research on these species we will gain deeper knowledge about the environment around us, and we will be able to move towards a beneficial direction for our world, comprehending how it affects us, and how we can solve those problems that affect all of us.
In the beginning, a newly graduate Peruvian veterinarian started what would become the pioneer organization that changed the present of marine life in Peru...the rest is history.
ORCA
"Rescue, Education, Science and
Conservation
Protecting Marine Life in
the Eastern South Pacific"
OCEANIZE YOUR LIFE!
|
