Where do we work?
Tropical Eastern Pacific
MarViva currently works in seven priority areas of the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), which are considered vital for the conservation of marine biodiversity:
• Cocos Island National Park (Costa Rica)
• Osa Conservation Area (Costa Rica)
• Coiba Island National Park (Panama)
• Golfo de Chiriquí Marine National Park (Panamá)
• Utría National Nature Park (Colombia)
• Gorgona National Nature Park (Colombia)
• Sanquianga National Nature Park (Colombia)
The Tropical Eastern Pacific is a vast region made up of an invaluable marine landscape of great natural beauty. Its islands and archipelagos, as well as its ocean ridge and submarine mountain ranges, form a complex system of currents, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, outcrops, important turtle nesting sites, reproduction areas and even meeting points for whales travelling to and from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
It is mostly a route for migratory species and very productive fisheries, which makes it high-opportunity area for the almost twelve million inhabitants living on the coastal strip and whose life largely depends on sea-related economic activities.
Despite the wealth and potential of the Tropical Eastern Pacific, both the marine resources and subsistence of the coastal communities are under the threat of global warming, ocean pollution, overfishing, alteration and destruction of natural habitats, shark finning and mutilation and illegal fishing, as well as unsustainable tourism practices, unplanned urban development, a lack of public policies for an overall coastal management and, in general, poor management of oceans and coastlines.
The region shows symptoms of pollution in coastal areas, over-exploited fisheries on the brink of collapse and poor environmental management, which underlines the need for an urgent definition and application of special public policies by the governments in order to guarantee the conservation of marine resources and their sustainable use.
The low number of areas declared to be Marine Protected Areas is in stark contrast with what has been achieved in land conservation. The poor management of fishing resources in the region has prevented the development of sustainable fishing, which has led to the economic marginalization of a significant social sector.
