2019 World Fellow Alex Muñoz
Alex Muñoz talks about why he became a human rights lawyer in Chile, the importance of freedom of expression, his work as National Geographic’s Pristine Seas Director for Latin America, and the protests in Chile.
More about Alex
Together we explored the territories of both peoples in Patagonia. We combined the scientific work of our team with the ancestral knowledge of these native villages. The experience was extraordinary and extremely enriching. And being able to personally appreciate the immense natural and cultural richness of this region of Patagonia reaffirmed the imperative need to protect it.
2019
Alex Muñoz Wilson
Alex Muñoz Wilson is National Geographic's Pristine Seas Director for Latin America. He has been the driving force behind the creation of the seven largest fully-protected marine reserves in Latin America, covering 1.2 million square kilometers of ocean. He has also led many important ocean policy changes in Chile, including making it the first country in the world to legally protect all of its seamounts from destructive fishing; reforming Chile’s fisheries law to require science-based quotas and reduce incidental mortality of species; stopping coal-fired power plants from destroying marine habitats and fishers’ livelihoods; protecting vast areas of Patagonia from salmon farming; establishing the first regulations to reduce antibiotic use and…