No ‘island of garbage’ here, Puerto Rico’s new marine reserve

The Caribbean US territory of Puerto Rico, likened to a “floating island of garbage” at a Republican rally in New York, on Wednesday announced the creation of a new marine reserve to protect manatees and other species.

The announcement at the UN’s COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, came amid an uproar over a comedian’s remarks at an election rally for Donald Trump on Sunday.

“There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said.

“Happily, this couldn’t be further from the truth, and local communities in northern Puerto Rico are proving why,” said a message from Greenhouse Communications announcing the creation of a new marine protected area (MPA) stretching over 202 square kilometers (78 square miles).

The area, to be known as the Jardines Submarinos (Submarine Gardens) of Vega Baja and Manati, covers coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds home to more than 14 endangered species, including the Greater Caribbean Manatee, said a statement by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other NGOs.

“The area also hosts vibrant small-scale fisheries and a local ecotourism industry,” it added.

Communities hope the initiative “will allow its waters to remain a source of food and income for local families for generations.”

The MPA was the product of more than 16 years of activism by local communities.

It was announced as the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered its final stretch in Cali.

The summit is seeking to advance on financing for 23 targets agreed in Canada two years ago to “halt and reverse” nature loss.

One of the targets is to have 30 percent of marine and coastal areas “effectively conserved and managed” by 2030 through efforts such as MPAs.

A Greenpeace report last week said MPAs covered only 8.4 percent of the global ocean. Only 2.7 percent of the ocean is fully or highly protected.

The equivalent of 23.5 France-sized MPAs will have to be established every year until 2030 to reach the 30 percent target, said the report.

The United States, of which Puerto Rico is a territory, is not one of the 196 parties to the biodiversity convention.

© 2024 AFP