Parque interjurisdiccional marino costero Patagonia Austral, Marine coastal park in Florentino Ameghino Department, Argentina.
Parque Interjurisdiccional Marino Costero Patagonia Austral is a protected area covering 104,812 ha at the northern end of San Jorge Gulf, between Cabo Dos Bahías and Quintano Island, in Chubut Province. It takes in a maritime zone of seabed and subsoil plus 42 islands and islets, among them Arce, Cayetano, Leones, Pan de Azúcar, Tova, Tovita, Cevallos, Viana, Valdez, Quintano and the Vernaci islands, with beaches and rocky outcrops along the shore.
The park's creation was agreed on 8 August 2007 by a treaty between the national state and Chubut Province, ratified by the provincial legislature in October 2007 and by the National Congress through Law 26,446, sanctioned on 3 December 2008 and promulgated on 5 January 2009. Since 2001, the Fundación Patagonia Natural and the Wildlife Conservation Society had promoted its protection. The treaty divides administration between the National Parks Administration and the Chubut government without transferring jurisdiction.
The towns of Bahía Bustamante and Camarones nearby have built their way of life around fishing and the sea for generations. You can see how the coast shapes the rhythm of daily work in these communities and their connection to maritime traditions.
The park can be reached from the town of Camarones by following Urquiza Street to the waterfront road. Information offices at the site operate during business hours and can help orient you with the area.
The park's waters are fished for their large numbers and size range of marine species; in 2009 two anglers landed a 160-kg leopard catshark here. Off-road vehicles and motocross bikes cross the beaches and plateau because paved roads are lacking, a practice the park cites as harmful to flora and fauna and a cause of erosion.
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