The United States praised “the commitment” of Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador to protect marine ecosystems, in a tweet from the head of US diplomacy for the Americas.
“It is remarkable to see the commitment of Costa Rica,Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador to collectively preserve such incredible biodiversity,” says Brian Nichols on Twitter. The U.S. is committed to working with partners throughout the world to protect marine ecosystems and stop #IUU fishing.
Sea turtles, whales, sharks and other marine species can swim safely “now that four Latin American countries are forming a huge wildlife protection corridor in the Pacific Ocean,” says ShareAmerica, a platform of the US State Department.
Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor
The Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor of the islands of Coco (Costa Rica), Galapagos (Ecuador), Malpelo (Colombia) and Coiba (Panama) and of migravías (biological corridors) “will prevent the presence of industrial fishing fleets in some 490,000 square kilometers of waters”, he adds.
During the COP26 climate conference held in November in the Scottish city of Glasgow, the Costa Rican presidents, Carlos Alvarado; Colombian, Iván Duque; Ecuadorian, Guillermo Lasso; and Panamanian, LaurentinoCortizo, announced that they would promote initiatives to protect the marine ecosystem.
The largest marine protected area in the world
“We established the largest marine protected area in the Western Hemisphere and, perhaps in the world, considered one of the richest regions in biodiversity on the planet,” Duque said in a tweet in November.
The new marine corridor will protect against unsustainable fishing practices and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing “that deplete fish populations and can cause significant environmental and economic damage, as well as threatening endangered species”, ShareAmerica notes.
To discourage these fishing practices, the United States collaborates with different countries, for example by providing training to Brazilian officials and Ecuadorian prosecutors “in the application of the law,” it adds.
The new corridor in the Pacific Ocean expands the protected areas surrounding the Galapagos Islands to include Malpelo, Coco and Coiba and will protect hammerhead sharks, humpback whales, rays and other species.
