• Signing held in Puntarenas (Costa Rica) with participation of the minister of environment of Costa Rica and representatives of the ministries of environment of Ecuador, Colombia and Panama.

On June 8, World Oceans Day, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Tropical Eastern Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR, Spanish acronym) and PACIFICO.

This strategic alliance seeks to mobilize and implement resources in common geographic areas in the Tropical Eastern Central Pacific in order to help consolidate the integrated management of ecosystems, biodiversity and marine and coastal resources through their conservation and sustainable use. To achieve this, the agreement already has a Five-Year Work Plan (2017–2022) and its first Annual Plan.

Tropics prioritized by CMAR and PACIFICO are the following:

1. Management and conservation of biodiversity and marine and coastal resources

2. Climate change

3. Management effectiveness in protected marine areas

4. Monitoring and control systems

5. Invasive species

6. Sustainable development of economic activities such as fishing, tourism, navigation routes, and production  models, among others

7. Capacity building

8. Valuation of ecosystem services

9. Mobilization of resources

This agreement unites the efforts that Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica carry out in the Tropical Eastern Pacific, which enables a greater impact in the region.

CMAR

CMAR is a regional voluntary initiative by the governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama established in 2004. Its purpose is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of the Tropical Eastern Pacific region, based on the interests and priorities of its member states, through establishing joint governmental regional strategies supported by civil society, international cooperation organizations and NGOs.
www.cmarpacifico.org

Fundación PACÍFICO

This foundation is a coordination platform made up of four environmental funds: Patrimonio Natural [Natural Heritage] (Colombia), Forever Costa Rica Association (Costa Rica), Fondo Acción [Action Fund] (Colombia) and Fundación Natura [Nature Foundation] (Panama).
It mobilizes financial and administrative resources to facilitate financing for the implementation of actions for the conservation of marine-coastal resources in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.
www.redpacifico.net