Beyond Bridges & Boundaries Conservation Realist Podcast

A conversation with a good friend, Mark de la Paz! One of the most (too) humble people working in dolphin conservation, he's run a long-term research and conservation project for Irrawaddy dolphins in the Philippines - only to face threats to their critical habitat (and his own safety) with plans for a major bridge across the Guimaras Strait. He shares how he's processing this difficult experience, and more of his perspectives from his work there and in his PhD research on finless porpoises in Japan. Thank you, Mark!
KEY POINTS:
* Long-term work with communities on Irrawaddy dolphin conservation in Negros Occidental, Philippines
* And how that work was threatened – and paused out of safety concerns – due to big infrastructure development plans
* The serious risks of working in environmental activism in the Philippines
* Processing the difficulties of conservation work and still remaining hopeful
* The vastly different conservation contexts between Philippines and Japan
* The move from one frustrating species (Irrawaddy dolphins) to an even more frustrating species (Finless porpoises)


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