Panama has taken a giant step forward in protecting its waters. The Central American country is rich in biodiversity but it is also one of the countries most threatened by climate change. On June 8 – World Oceans Day – it announced it would expand a marine reserve in its Pacific waters to cover 67,742 square kilometers. It is close in size to its land mass of 75,517 square kilometers.

The area includes the Cordillera de Coiba, an area rich in fish stocks and an important feeding area for many marine species. Combined with the neighboring reserves in Colombian waters, the protected area will expand to 121,341 square kilometers, making it the third largest marine reserve in the tropical Pacific. “We are very happy,” said Milciades Concepción, Minister of the Environment of Panama. “The whole region is very excited that Panama is making this happen. “

Panama established the existing 17,223 square kilometer marine reserve in September 2015 to protect endangered flora and fauna and critical fish stocks. With the support of experts from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamanian authorities have now extended it to nine submerged mountain ranges, where some submarine peaks reach 3,000 meters high. A wide range of 14 different species of marine mammals live in the area, which is a feeding and breeding ground for sea turtles, marlins (or sailfish), sharks and whales, including species considered vulnerable or in danger. The decision “will double the Panamanian sea surface which is under a certain degree of protection,” according to a statement from the Smithsonian. This decision also brings Panama into line with the targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity, which was signed by 196 countries and entered into force in 1993.

To ensure the protection of the new area, Concepción said his government was in talks with international organizations to oversee the protection of natural resources using technology-driven monitoring tools. “We are putting in place the mechanisms for monitoring the area, as well as creating a management plan that we are coordinating with the Smithsonian Institute, which establishes the monitoring, supervision and control, and which will help us to respect the boundaries. that it protects. the region needs in the use of its resources, ”he said.

Panama is a hub of world trade. The country expanded its famous canal in 2016 and official data shows that 4,899 ships crossed this crucial waterway between the oceans in 2019. Studies by Smithsonian experts show that among the ships that pass through the protected area are international merchant ships, although tankers are the main ones. those who cross these waters the most. There are also international fishing vessels that use fine mesh nets to illegally catch tuna, an activity that generates profits of around $ 5 million per year. Bycatch includes sharks, which are trapped in the nets. “This type of fishing is very damaging to the environment because of the quantities caught,” explained Héctor Guzmán, of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “It shouldn’t happen.”

Guzmán is the architect of the expansion of the marine reserve and obtained the funds to expand it through international organizations. “The plan is to reduce fishing in the area and allow the stocks to reach the area closest to the coast, where the Panamanian artisanal fleet is located. In addition, we will only allow selective fishing that does not affect other species such as sharks or turtles, thus contributing to conservation efforts. This will allow the stock to rebuild itself, as it will no longer be fished in a destructive manner, and it will benefit local economies which can effectively access it.

Environmentalists are excited about the new protected area, created by decree by the President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo. Among those supporting the project is Maximiliano Bello of the organization Mission Blue, which is trying to persuade nations to create marine protected areas around the world. “If each country did its part, like Panama does, it would provide a better future for these marine ecosystems,” Bello argued. “Seamounts [underwater mountains] are among the most important physical elements for biodiversity. Seamounts generate oceanographic processes, such as currents in water, that stimulate life. These are key areas for marine species, ”he added. Protecting these areas is an investment for the future for the populations who survive thanks to the riches of the sea, he says. “We need to devote more resources and investments to the protection of nature, because it is an important generator of capital. We need to expand incentives for conservation, because it is the source of all economic activity. “