We are so excited to tell you about a major victory that our supporters helped achieve. Yesterday at the UN Ocean Conference, the Colombian government announced it will create four new official marine reserves, including one expanding the fully protected Malpelo Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora. Colombia will now surpass the goal of protecting 30% of its waters eight years before the 2030 deadline! The initiative to protect 30% of the global ocean by the year 2030, referred to as 30x30, is a target that scientists have indicated is necessary in order to prevent irreversible loss of marine life. A huge thank you to everyone who made their voice heard on the petition to protect the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor. And, of course, this win would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Colombia’s environmental, fishing, and maritime authorities, along with scientists, the private fishing sector, nonprofits, and the people of Colombia. With this remarkable action, Colombia will strengthen local fisheries, sustainable livelihoods, and the protection of marine biodiversity in its native waters and throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor. If you’d like to move another campaign to create sanctuaries close to victory, consider adding your name to the brand-new petition to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument 🌎 ⛵️
Update:
On June 8th, 2021, Panama surpassed the 30×30 target to become the leading country in marine protection in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) Seascape. This action tripled the size of the Cordillera de Coiba MPA, with nearly 70 percent designated as fully protected from extractive activities and the remaining 30 percent set aside for sustainable use.
On Nov. 1st, 2021, Ecuador announced an expansion of the existing Galápagos Islands marine reserve to encompass an additional 60,000 square kilometers. The majority of the addition would be established across the Cocos Ridge, which is an important migration route for species like hammerhead sharks and leatherback turtles.
On Dec. 17th, 2021, the Costa Rican government signed a decree expanding the fully protected area of the Isla del Coco National Park and the Seamounts Marine Management Area by more than 50,000 square kilometers–27 times bigger than its previous size.
On Jun. 28, 2022, the Colombian government announced the creation of four new major marine protected areas (MPAs), including one that expands the fully protected Malpelo Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora. In total, the new MPAs will enable Colombia to surpass the global 30x30 ocean protection goal eight years before the 2030 deadline!
Call on the governments of Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia to join Panama in protecting the migration routes of species threatened with extinction.
Increased commercial fishing pressure is contributing to the decline of marine life in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) Seascape.
This is especially true along important animal migration routes, where commercial fishing operations, both domestic and foreign, have been documented engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
