To this end, they held a workshop in this capital with the participation of national and international organizations to exchange experiences in establishing the first seamount protection corridor in the waters of both nations.
Bogotá declared an oceanic protected area called the Cordillera Beata Natural Reserve, covering an area of about 33,000 square kilometers, for which it is developing a management plan.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic is articulating international collaboration to initiate scientific studies and promote a socialization process with different sectors, with the aim of defining mechanisms that allow adequate protection of the underwater mountain.
The Cordillera Beata Natural Park is located at the northeastern end of Colombia’s maritime territory in the Caribbean Basin and is bounded to the north by the territorial waters of the Dominican Republic and to the east by the maritime platform of Venezuela.
The commitment undertaken by both countries envisages the implementation of cartographic and geographical studies as well as the carrying out of biological work to analyze the endemic species of the aforementioned mountains.
The welcoming remarks to the workshop were delivered by Nina Lysenko, Director of Management, Conservation and Protection of Coastal and Marine Resources of the Ministry; while Jonathan Delance from the Deputy Ministry of Coastal and Marine Resources presented the objectives, background and purpose of the initiative.
Juan Manuel Polo gave a lecture on the national parks of Colombia and the scientific studies that supported the creation of the park system, the establishment process and the protected objects.
For his part, José Gerhartz from the Caribbean Biological Corridor referred to the situation in the island Caribbean with regard to marine protected areas and their expansion.
Among the topics discussed are the management plans for protected areas in Colombia, led by the advisor of the Subdirectorate of Management and Management of the National Natural Parks of this country.
lam/mpv