Iberian Orcas Project: Mare Plasticum – From the Arctic to Galicia

Polarquest and Arssciencia launch the Iberian Orcas Project.

One of Polarquest’s Fleet4Science sailboats, Lady Magellan, owned by the Association president Paola Catapano has just finished wintering in A Coruña and is about to cast off to sail along the Iberian coasts towards Gibraltar. This is a fantastic opportunity to start a research and communication project on the Iberian Orcas and their infamous “interactions” with sailing vessels. As is by now well known, these interactions often lead to damage (if not sinking) of the vessels and are becoming so frequent that they require official attention.

Since 2020, more than 700 sailboats have been damaged by these encounters and 6 have even sunk. Through discussions with marine biologists, Polarquest has realized that there is a gap between the main actors (sailors, fishermen, scientists and regulating authorities) on how to deal with the issue, as an effective protocol for mariners is not in place. It seems that valuable mutual expertise and knowledge is not shared by the stakeholder groups and that they are not working together to find a standardized protocol that works for all, including the orcas.

The 2024 MITECO workshop on the interaction between Killer whales and sailing vessels technical report emphasizes that:

“mariners are already using deterrent methods in an effort to stop whales from interacting with their vessels, mostly without success (based on data through early 2024)”

and that

“most of these methods are illegal under EU law, as they have high potential to harm these critically endangered whales, as well as unproven”

and concludes that,

“it is therefore essential to provide clear, updated, practical advice now (within current legal guidelines), and that an effective communications plan directed to key stakeholders (Item 3.2(5) and Annex 4(A)) is urgent”.

At Polarquest we are ideally placed to support researchers and governments towards this objective, through the production and design of communication material, media content and outreach events to engage the public as well as citizen science campaigns.  

In collaboration with the Galician association ArsSciencia, and in particular its president Margarita Cimadevila and artist-scientist Wolfgang Trettnak, based in A Coruña, and with whom we collaborated on the Arctic plastic pollution project, and with the support of the Ayuntamiento de Arteixo, we have organized an event devoted to the changing ocean that will take place on April 29 at the Museo Mar de Sorrizo, the nature interpretation center of the Red Natura da Costa da Morte in Artexo, which is part of the Galician biosphere network. The location is very inspiring as a venue for events and exhibitions linked to the themes of the sea and sustainability.

On the programme: an Art and Science exhibition on Plastic Pollution, from the Arctic to Galicia, featuring:

• Photos taken during Polarquest 2018 expedition to Svalbard to document plastic pollution in the Arctic ocean till the North Pole Ice shelf
• Artwork by Margarita Cimadevila and Wolfgang created using plastic collected on Galician beaches
• Slideshows and film projection
• A debate among representatives of the communities impacted by the Iberian orca issue: marine biologists (from CEMMA), sailors, fishermen, members of the local government and the public
• Free entry

The exhibition will stay in the Museum for the months of May and June and can be visited upon request.

Press contact: Margarita Cimadevila