EMPOWERING RANCHERS TO CONSERVE SHOREBIR

The eastern seaboard of Uruguay exhibits a chain of five coastal lagoons with very similar ecosystems, supporting globally important populations of migratory shorebirds that use the surrounding grasslands, wetlands and sandy areas, as well as the lagoon shores, as wintering areas.

Relevant populations of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover, Red Knot, White-rumped Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper are regularly present.

This region, covering almost 1,000,000 hectares, is under extreme pressures from agricultural conversions, intensive livestock ranching, urbanization and recreational activities such as poorly regulated tourism.

Building on the first phases advances, partners will support concrete on-the-ground infrastructure in ranches (i.e., fencing, water distribution for grassland management and restoration) and technical assistance in at least 20 ranches strategically located along the lagoon belt.

These concrete on-the-ground management practices will be accompanied by an on-site monitoring program to assess the effects of the implemented practices on shorebird conservation and will serve to promote similar actions and exchanges within the stakeholder network, particularly trying to capture government interest and funds to support these activities.

This project also aims at adding value to the beef producing profile of typical lagoon ranches, creating market incentives for their main product (beef) and creating complementary sources of income with the provision of migrant shorebird, sites, tourism routes and services to prospective visitors to the lagoons.