The Sea of Juan Fernández

The ecological value of the marine ecosystems of Juan Fernández and Desventuradas is extraordinary and irreplaceable. Its sea beds hold a great biomass of fish and one of the most singular fauna in the planet, with almost the entirety of the fish species found only here, surpassing even the Galapagos Islands. The endemic coastal fish species represent 98% of the numeric abundance of the fish in Robinson Crusoe, 91% in Selkirk and 99% in Desventuradas, reaching the highest level of endemism in any marine ecosystem on earth. Conscious of the wealth of its waters, of the responsibility of maintaining the good practices of lobster fishing and of the threat of industrial fishing for the endangered species living on land and gathering around the underwater mounts around Juan Fernández, the community proposed the protection of the entire sea surrounding the islands through a marine park and widened area destined for local use. With the creation of the Marine Park of Juan Fernández in 2018, which was added to the Marine Park of Nazca Desventuradas established in 2016, through the work of the local fishermen and community of Juan Fernández, this has become one of the countries with the largest marine conservation areas in history. Endangered species such as the blue and mako sharks, swordfish, southern bluefin tuna and leatherback turtles, along with a multitude of seabirds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, corals and algae, have found a unique environment for their development, and a community that protects them and assumes global commitments to save the oceans.