Upon receiving the trophy accrediting the Blue Park Award, in the Golden category, the Jardines de la Reina National Park was confirmed as the 21st oceanic protected area in the world and the only one in Cuba to obtain this award, conferred by the Marine Conservation Institute of the USA.
In a letter addressed to the National Company for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (ENPFF), Lance E. Morgan and Sarah O. Hameed, president and director of the aforementioned North American organization, respectively, expressed their satisfaction in honoring the long-standing commitment dates from safeguarding marine wildlife.
The Territorial Delegation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) in Ciego de Ávila stated that the award recognized the existence and effectiveness of a scientific model for the management and care of this ecosystem, in addition to the protection of critical habitats, with the purpose of promoting resilience to climate change and safeguarding the marine environment.
It constituted a stimulus to the effort made for 25 years in the conservation of marine protected areas, their local communities in the two sectors of the national park (Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey) and the role of environmental education to ensure the durability of the area, he specified.
The CITMA highlighted the leading role of the ENPFF, Fisheries, the Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Research Centers, the MarlinAzulmar Marine, and the Forest Rangers and Border Troops in the custody of numerous species, among which stand out 37 corals, 283 of fish and 120 of birds.
Special attention is paid to endangered or threatened animals, such as sea turtles (hawksbill, green, leatherback and loggerhead), groupers (goliath and creole grouper), and silky sharks and whales.
According to information from the National Center for Protected Areas, Jardines de la Reina extends from the Gulf of Guacanayabo to the Bay of Casilda, in the southern part of the island of Cuba, has an extension of 360 kilometers and is made up of 661 cays corresponding to three cays.
The most valuable area is called Las Doce Leguas and is located in the far west, off the southern coast of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, where vibrant mangroves, seagrass meadows and coral reefs are protected, cataloged as the most healthy in the Caribbean Sea.
The Blue Park Awards were instituted to encourage countries to safeguard marine wildlife, secure critical environments, promote resilience to climate change, and safeguard the beauty of the oceans for future generations.
The goal is to create an effective network that protects and maintains marine life and habitats around the world.
Although the awards corresponding to the 2021 edition were announced in the month of last December, the recognition has not been effective to date.
