The Cetacean Conservation Center (Centro de Conservación Cetacea or CCC) is a Chilean NGO dedicated to the conservation of cetaceans and other marine mammals that inhabit the coastal waters of Chile. The CCC also engages in public education and information campaigns at the national and regional level.

Mission

Centro de Conservación Cetacea (CCC) is a Chilean non-governmental and non-profit organization that actively and effectively works on the conservation of marine mammals and their aquatic ecosystems in Chilean waters. The goals in support of this mission are:

History

Since 2001, Centro de Conservacion Cetacea has conducted national marine conservation projects, including a wide range of areas like scientific research, public education, coastal community development and strengthening of marine conservation policies: CHILE 2002, Our Opportunity to Protect Life”''', that reached over 140 thousand people of all the country with an educational exhibit of life size inflatable whales and sharks. As a result, the government of Chile strongly opposed proposals oriented to down list whale species from Appendix I and supported proposals oriented to include whale and basking sharks in CITES Appendix II, during the 12th Conference of the Parties of CITES conducted in Santiago de Chile. “Southern Right Whale Project/Chile”, a project that has been conducted since 2003 with the official support of the Chilean Navy and the cooperation of leading right whale conservation organizations from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In 2008 the southeast Pacific population of this species was classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Chilean Navy granted maximum level of protection to the species. Marine Mammal Sighting Network”''', it has work effectively thanks to the support and cooperation of the Chilean Navy and more than 500 members that actively participate in recording of cetacean sightings and stranding events along the Chilean coast. Alfaguara project. It has consolidated as a scientific and coastal sustainable development project of national interest by receiving the official support of the Chilean Navy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education of Chile. The project has also identified the area with the highest sighting rate of blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere (northwestern Chiloé Island) and has raised international awareness regarding the health status of this blue whale population by describing skinny blue whales and skin lesions associated to coastal pollution from the salmon farming industry. “Chile 2008, A Whale Sanctuary”, that was conducted during eight months in conjunction with Centro Ecoceanos and the National Confederation of Artisan Fishers of Chile. As a result, the sanctuary was achieved in only eight months with the unanimous support by the Chilean Congress of the bill/law that bans all types of whaling operations in Chilean jurisdictional waters (EEZ) and sets the basis for consolidating a national marine conservation policy. This is the first marine protection policy adopted in Chilean history and the most important measure taken until date in the country for the effective conservation of cetacean species and their marine environment.

Papers and publications

Cabrera, E., Carlson, C. and Galletti V.M., B. 2004. A note on the presence of blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the north western coast of Chiloe Island and its management implications. Paper SC/56/SH21 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, July 2004 (unpublished). 3pp. [Available from the authors] Cabrera, E., Carlson, C. and Galletti V.M., B. 2005. Presence of blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the northwestern coast of Chiloé Island, Southern Chile. LAJAM 4(1): 73-74. Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C. and Cabrera, E. 2005. Blue whale sightings during the 2005 field season in northwestern Chiloe Island, Southern Chile. Paper SC/57/SH14 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2005 (unpublished). 4pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C. and Cabrera, E. 2005. Presence of sei whales during 2004 and 2005 in northwestern Chiloe Island, Southern Chile. Paper SC/57/O19 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2005 (unpublished). 4pp. [Available from the authors] Cabrera, E., Carlson, C., Galletti V.M., B., Cardenas, J.C. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2005. A pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) from Chiloe Island, Chile. Paper SC/57/O20 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2005 (unpublished). 5pp. [Available from the authors] Cabrera, E., Carlson, C., Galletti V.M., B., Cardenas, J.C. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2005. A pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) from Chiloe Island, Chile. 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. San Diego, CA, USA, 12–16 December 2005. pg. 47. Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C. and Cabrera, E. 2005. Presence of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) during 2004 and 2005 in northwestern Chiloe Island, Southern Chile. 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. San Diego, CA, USA, 12–16 December 2005. pg. 100. Cabrera, E., Carlson, C., Galletti Vernazzani, B. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2006. Preliminary report on the photo-identification of blue whales off Isla de Chiloé, Chile from 2004 to 2006. Paper SC/58/SH18 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2006 (unpublished). 5pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C., Cabrera, E. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2006. Blue, sei and humpback whale sightings during 2006 field season in northwestern Isla de Chiloe, Chile. Paper SC/58/SH17 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2006 (unpublished). 6pp. [Available from the authors] Branch, T.A., Stafford, K.M., Palacios, D.M., Allison, C., Bannister, J.L., Burton, C.L.K., Cabrera, E., Carlson, C., Galletti Vernazzani, B., Gill, P.C., Hucke-Gaete, R., Jenner, K.C.S., Jenner, M-N.M., Matsuoka, K., Mikhalev, Y.A., Miyashita, T., Morrice, M.G., Nishiwaki, S., Sturrock, V.J., Tormosov, D., Anderson, R.C., Baker, A.N., Best, P.B., Borsa, P., Brownell Jr., R.L., Childerhouse, S., Findlay, K.P., Gerrodette, T., Ilangakoon, A.D., Joergensen, M., Kahn, B., Ljunglad, D.K., Maughn, B., McCauley, R.D., McKay, S., Norris, T.F., Oman Whale And Dolphin Research Group, Rankin, S., Samaran, F., Thiele, D., Van Waerebeek, K. and Warneke, R.M.2007b. Past and present distribution, densities and movements of blue whales Balaenoptera musculus in the Southern Hemisphere and northern Indian Ocean. Mammal Review 37: 116-175. Brownell Jr., R.L., Carlson, C., Galletti Vernazzani, B. and Cabrera, E. 2007. Skin lesions on blue whales off southern Chile: Possible conservation implications?. Paper SC/59/SH21 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2007 (unpublished). 6pp. [Available from the authors] Brownell Jr., R.L., Carlson, C., Galletti Vernazzani, B. and Cabrera, E. 2007. Skin lesions on blue whales off Isla de Chiloé: Possible conservation implications?. 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Cape Town, South Africa, 29 November-3 December 2007. Cabrera, E. y Galletti Vernazzani, B. 2007. Parámetros para determinar los efectos del turismo de avistamiento sobre cinco poblaciones de cetáceos en Chile. En: CPPS/PNUMA. 2007. Memorias del Taller de Trabajo sobre el Impacto de las Actividades Antropogénicas en Mamíferos Marinos en el Pacífico Sudeste. Bogotá, Colombia, 28 al 29 de noviembre de 2006. Guayaquil, Ecuador. pp 60–64. Cabrera, E., Galletti Vernazzani, B and Carlson, C. 2007. Recommendations for whale watching guidelines in the blue whale feeding area of southern Chile. Paper SC/59/WW15 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2007 (unpublished). 9pp. [Available from the authors] Cabrera, E., Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2007. National marine mammal sighting network in Chile: a cost-effective tool for increasing our understanding of cetaceans. 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Cape Town, South Africa, 29 November-3 December 2007. Galletti Vernazzani, B. y Cabrera, E. 2007. Varamiento de cetáceos en Chile 1970-2005 y su relación con impactos antropogénicos. En: CPPS/PNUMA. 2007. Memorias del Taller de Trabajo sobre el Impacto de las Actividades Antropogénicas en Mamíferos Marinos en el Pacífico Sudeste. Bogotá, Colombia, 28 al 29 de noviembre de 2006. Guayaquil, Ecuador. pp 32–37. Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C., Cabrera, E., and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2007. Status of blue whales off Isla de Chiloé, Chile, during 2007 field season. Paper SC/59/SH1 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2007 (unpublished). 7pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C., Cabrera, E., and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2007. Status of blue whales off Isla de Chiloé, Chile, from 2004 to 2007. 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Cape Town, South Africa, 29 November-3 December 2007. Brownell Jr., R.L., Carlson, C., Galletti Vernazzani, B. and Cabrera, E. 2008. Skin lesions on blue whales off southern Chile: Possible conservation implications?. Paper SC/60/SH25 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2008 (unpublished). 8pp. [Available from the authors] Capella, J., Galletti Vernazzani B, Gibbons, J. & Cabrera E. 2008. Coastal migratory connections of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae borowski, 1781, in southern chile. Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia (Chile). 36(2):13-18 Galletti Vernazzani, B., Brownell Jr., R.L. and Cabrera, E. 2008. Sightings of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) off Chile and Peru from 1976 to 2007. Paper SC/60/BRG22 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2008 (unpublished). 12pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C., Cabrera, E. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2008. Status of blue whales off Isla de Chiloé, Chile, during 2008 field season. Paper SC/60/SH24 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2008 (unpublished). 9pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C., Cabrera, E., Capella, J. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2008. Recent humpback whale sightings off Isla de Chiloe, 2006-2008. Paper SC/60/SH26 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2008 (unpublished). 4pp. [Available from the authors] Brownell, Jr., R.L, Galletti Vernazzani, B. and Carlson, C.A. 2009. Vessel collision with a large whale off southern Chile. Paper SC/61/BC7 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2009 (unpublished). 6pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B. and Cabrera, E. 2009. First aerial surveys to estimate abundance of blue whales off southern Chile. Paper SC/61/SH21 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2009 (unpublished). 8pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Cabrera, E., Carlson, C.A., Sironi, M. and Brownell, Jr., R.L. 2009. Blue Whales off Isla de Chiloé, Chile: update of 2009 field research season of the Alfaguara Project. Paper SC/61/SH22 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2009 (unpublished). 2pp. [Available from the authors] Galletti Vernazzani, B., Cabrera, E., Cárdenas, J.C., and Perez, C. 2009. Blue whale conservation, gaps, and challenges of MPA policies in Chile. First International Conference on Marine Mammals Protected Areas. Maui, Hawaii, USA, 30 March-3 April 2009. Galletti Vernazzani, B., Carlson, C., Cabrera, E. and Brownell Jr., R.L. 2010. Status of blue whales off Isla de Chiloé, Chile, 2004-2009. Paper SC/62/SH32 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, June 2010 (unpublished). 11pp. [Available from the authors] -->