{"id":19516,"date":"2022-04-25T22:57:47","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T04:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cocosisland.org\/natural-shark-sanctuary\/"},"modified":"2023-02-17T02:22:16","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T02:22:16","slug":"natural-shark-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cocosisland.org\/en\/natural-shark-sanctuary\/","title":{"rendered":"Cocos Island National Park declared a natural shark sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cocos Island National Park declared a natural shark sanctuary<\/h1>\n
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  • The President of the Republic and the Minister of Environment and Energy signed a decree this Friday that also boosts the connection between this sanctuary and the one in Golfo Dulce, created in 2018.
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    • “Protecting these sites implies taking a step forward with the conservation of species of transcendental importance for marine ecosystems, as well as those that are in danger of extinction,” said the Costa Rican president.
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      • During a visit to Cocos Island this week by Costa Rican authorities and representatives of the United States government, the interest in strengthening joint patrol actions to protect marine resources and ecosystems and combat drug trafficking was announced.
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        \"Carlos<\/p>\n

        The President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, and the Minister of Environment and Energy, Rolando Castro C\u00f3rdoba, signed this Friday, April 22, an executive decree with the aim of guaranteeing the protection and conservation of the shark sanctuary on Cocos Island and its connection to the Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary.<\/p>\n

        This is executive decree No. 43477-MINAE “Declaration of a Natural Shark Sanctuary at Cocos Island National Park.”<\/p>\n

        Threatened by illegal fishing, particularly of shark species, Cocos Island National Park (CINP)<\/b> is one of the Marine Protected Areas that make up the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, together with the Galapagos National Park (Ecuador), the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary (Colombia), the Isla Gorgona National Natural Park (Colombia), the Isla Coiba National Park (Panama), and the Revillagigedo National Park (Mexico).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        CINP is one of the richest areas of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, with more than 46% of the endemic species of our ocean, which was expanded by the Alvarado Quesada administration last December, extending the protection of the seas of Costa Rica from 2.7% to approximately 30%.<\/p>\n

        With the signing of Decree No. 43477, the connection between this sanctuary and the Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary and the preservation of vitally important marine species is consolidated, said President Carlos Alvarado, noting that “protecting these sanctuaries implies taking a step forward with the conservation of species of transcendental importance for marine ecosystems, as well as for endangered species\u201d.<\/p>\n

        In the Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary,<\/b> in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, the hammerhead shark is a common species in coastal and oceanic areas: pups are born and inhabit the first years of their lives in bays, estuaries, and river mouths; and when sharks approach sexual maturity, they begin long migrations in oceanic waters.<\/p>\n

        Since its creation, this site has strengthened the conservation of this species at a national and international level, promoting educational, monitoring, and training activities, and involving different stakeholders from coastal communities and government institutions.<\/p>\n

        \"Rolando<\/span><\/p>\n

        The Minister of Environment and Energy, Rolando Castro, explained that all these efforts, together with the expansion of the Marine Protected Area, contribute to strengthening the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People -led by Costa Rica, France, and the United Kingdom- whose objective is to conserve 30% of the terrestrial and marine surface by 2030. Now, 95 countries have joined this initiative; the most recent is the United States of America.<\/p>\n

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        “Considering the core areas of Malpelo, Coiba, Galapagos, and Cocos Island implies a huge challenge for our countries, so we must have agile and efficient mechanisms for the protection of these endemic species and their habitats,” added Castro.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n