ports of the world
In Argentina, sea lions disrupt the activity of the port of Mar del Plata
Audio 03:30
Sea lions at the port of Mar del Plata in Argentina.
© Théo Conscience / RFI
By: Théo Conscience Follow
4 mins
Our series on ports of the world today takes us to Mar del Plata in Argentina.
This seaside resort has always been home to a colony of some 500 sea lions which are its pride.
But with the pandemic, these mammals, which can weigh more than 300 kilograms, have taken their ease and have begun to disrupt port activities.
In response, the local authorities have set up a system involving scientists and animal rights defenders to maintain cohabitation.
Report from Mar del Plata by Théo Conscience
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From our correspondent in Mar del Plata,
It's the postcard of Mar del Plata: sea lions lazing in the sun on the port, in the middle of yellow and orange fishing boats.
Attracted by discarded fish, these maned sea lions have always cohabited with the fishermen of this seaside resort.
However, a few meters from the animals, José Antonio finishes welding a barrier.
“
The port president has asked us to install a fence so that the sea lions do not go into the port's operating area
”
The drop in activity caused by the pandemic has indeed disrupted cohabitation.
“
They said to themselves that it was better to be in the center of the port rather than where they were before.
And from a fortnight, we went to 450
animals on the quay
, ”explains the president of the port consortium, Gabriel Felizia.
And since then, habits die hard.
“Some animals were so accustomed to being there that at a certain time they went to get a ration of fish.
Others would get on cars and smash them, or sit in front of a business on Fisherman's Wharf and not let anyone in."
The presence of hundreds of sea lions, which of course have natural needs to satisfy, on the wharf where the fishermen unload the fish, also poses a health problem.
To dislodge them, the port authorities had to ask for help.
Guillermo Oliva claps his hands and gestures as he leads an adventurous sea lion back to his designated area.
The young man belongs to the Fauna Argentina foundation, which has taken care of the colony of maned sea lions in Mar del Plata for more than 40 years.
He tells us what he does: “
We remove ropes, nets and lots of other types of residue from them.
And right now, I'm in charge of sea lion relocation.
"
Every day, at the request of the consortium, members of the foundation come to ensure that no sea lion escapes into the port.
“
As you can see, today is quiet.
There are 120 individuals, which is not a lot compared to the 300 animals that there were in the exploitation area
”, observes Juan Lorenzani, the president of the NGO.
To reduce the number of animals on the unloading area, the members of the foundation had to take turns on the quay 24 hours a day throughout the month of July.
"
The animals were pushed back into the water and, once in the water, a large part of them headed for the reserve on the southern dyke, where a special place for them was set up in 2000
", specifies Juan Lorenzani.
The follow-up is then ensured by the marine mammal study group of the National University of Mar del Plata, of which Gisela Giardino is a member.
She tells :
“We marked them to follow their evolution, the areas they colonize.
Why did we have this problem?
Because before, they used to go to a beach, but the dredging operations of the port made this beach disappear.
The animals found themselves without this space and came to colonize the conflict zone.
This is also why the last step of the relocation plan is to offer the sea lions a new place to settle.
“
We are working on a system of floating pontoons like that in California, where the animals are in the marina.
The idea is not to completely drive them out of the port, as they are also an attraction for tourists.
What we want is to encourage them to settle in an area where they disturb fishing activities less
,” she adds.
NGOs, scientists, authorities: all actors are working together to ensure that sea lions continue to frequent Mar del Plata.
After all, as port president Gabriel Felizia remarks: “
They were there long before we arrived, somewhere, we are their home
”
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Argentina
Wildlife
Environment
Agriculture and Fishing