The Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor CMAR

1. The Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor CMAR A regional initiative for the sustainable use of biodiversity Inter-regional Workshop on Broad-scale Marine Spatial Panning and Transboundary Marine Mammal Management (21 to 24 May 2012, Panama City) photos: CI Colombia - F. Malpelo

2. Content • What is the CMAR? • History • Objectives of the CMAR • Relevance of the CMAR • Institutional structure • Strategic allies • Developed projects • Perspectives

3. What is the CMAR? Regional conservation initiative seeking for a sustainable use of biodiversity and marine and coastal resources in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), through an eco-systemic management approach establishing strategies among governments, civil society, international cooperation agencies and ONG´s The Marine Protected Areas (MPA´s) of Galápagos, Malpelo, Gorgona, Coiba and Cocos are the “core areas” of the CMAR.

4. Coiba Coco Malpelo Gorgona Galápagos

5. Créditos fotos: CI Colombia y F. Malpelo

6. National Park Coiba National Park Isla Cocos

7. Gorgona National Natural Park Flora and Fauna Sanctuary Malpelo

8. Marine Reserve and National Park Galápagos

9. History: • December 2001: Presidential joint declaration between the Governments of Costa Rica and Ecuador for a bilateral management of the shared resources in the ETP. • February 2002: World Forum of Environment Ministers of the UN in Cartagena (Colombia), proposed for inclusion in the previous statement the continental islands of Coiba (Panama) and Gorgona (Colombia). • September 2002: Johannesburg Summit (South Africa) for Sustainable Development, the Galapagos and Cocos Island initiative was presented. • April 2004: The "Declaration of San José" by the Ministers of environment of Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica was signed. The CMAR was created and integrate the 5 MPA´s of Galapagos, Malpelo, Gorgona, Coiba and Cocos Island. Four of them (except Gorgona) are currently World Heritage - UNESCO. • April 2011: Meeting of the Regional Technical Committee of the CMAR: Colombia assumes the Pro-Tempore Secretariat of the initiative, exerted to date by Costa Rica.

10. CMAR objectives: • General Objective: • Establish a system of joint management, defined among the Governments, to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources in the region of the ETP (MPA´s of Galapagos, Malpelo, Gorgona, Coiba and Cocos Island. • Specific Objetives: • Strengthening the management and conservation of the biodiversity of marine and coastal resources in the region of the ETP. • Establish an appropriate regional framework that facilitates the development and management of the CMAR. • Promote the participation of Governments and stakeholders in the integrated management of the CMAR: tourism, fisheries and conservation, among others.

11. Collaborate in the strengthening, consolidation and implementation of the Management Plans in each of the MPA´s of the CMAR. • Identify and apply to financial mechanisms for the implementation of the Action Plan of CMAR. • Orientate national and international technical and financial cooperation for the management of the CMAR. • Promote a responsible tourism which contributes to sustainable development of human communities involved in the initiative. • Provide a set of environmental goods and services at a local, regional and global levels. • Contribute to dissemination of the scientific, socioeconomic and normative information generated by the networks of CMAR.

12. Relevance of the CMAR: • Highly productive region in shared resources. • Province with a high level of endemism. • Great biodiversity and important dispersal of larvae of various key organisms (fish, corals, crustaceans, mollusks, phytoplankton…). • Great connectivity between the islands and between Islands and mainland. • Complex oceanographic conditions and need for scientific information. • 4 Marine protected areas which are part of the World Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO).

13. Relevance of the CMAR: • A great potential in tourism attraction (golden triangle, Galapagos, Coco, Malpelo). • An initiative aimed for the preservation of an ecosystem on a large scale. • Presence of numerous migratory species (marine mammals, birds, turtles, • Source of fish species of high commercial value and important forage species in the food chain. • A marine area that covers more than 3.5 million km2.

14. Institutional structure: Ministerial Regional Committee Technical Regional Committee Pro-Tempore Secretariat MPA´s Network Communicators Network Tourism Network Sciences Group

15. Strategic Allies:

16. Developed Projects: • ETP Seascape • UNESCO - CI - Walton Family Foundation, GEF • Supports countries in the development of policies and institutional capacities for the good governance of the CMAR. • Supports the development of sustainable economic initiatives for communities that depend on the resources of the CMAR. • Promotes the adequate implementation of the Management Plans of MPA´s of the CMAR. • Promotes strategies to mitigate the effect of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fisheries (IUU) in the region. • Aid in the defense against pollution and environmental damage caused by coastal development and poorly managed tourism. • Discerning about the vulnerability of marine protected areas in the region to climate change. • Encourages the exchange of scientific information on the base-line of marine and coastal natural resources in the CMAR.

17. Developed Projects: • Regional Management System for the Sustainable Use of Shared Resources in the CMAR • Inter-American Development Bank - IDB • Strategic alliances for management of the sustainability of fisheries in the CMAR. • Compilation of biological, socio-economic, environmental and legal information about the shared fishery resources in the CMAR. • Carrying out technical studies to fill the gaps in information on fishery resources in the region (information on regional fisheries, marketing chain, traceability, observers onboard programs). • Propose lines and guidelines for proper management of regional fisheries to fisheries and environmental authorities in the region.

18. Other efforts and activities in development: • The work plan of the Pro-tempore Secretariat for the triennium was developed. • A document with the "Functions and interrelationship between coordination mechanisms of the CMAR“ was drafted and approved. • The activities of the Action Plan to be implemented in each country during the triennium are being prioritized. • National Commissions of the CMAR in Costa Rica and Panama were structured; in Colombia the National Committee of the CMAR within the Colombian Oceanic Commission – CCO was created. • Work plans are being structured for Communicators and Tourism networks. The Science Group has prioritized its action lines. • The "7th Meeting of the Regional Ministerial Committee" of the CMAR took place in Quito (Ecuador) on February 2, 2012. • Forthcoming meetings of the CMAR networks are being coordinated.

19. Other efforts and activities in Development: • A training proposal is being drafted to provide a "Master’s degree in communication for conservation practitioners” to the administrators of the MPA´s of the CMAR. • Proposals are being prepared for KFW, GIZ, GEF and APC for financing activities to strengthen the initiative of the CMAR. • A research project proposal on cetaceans in the CMAR is being prepared to be presented to the Scientific Committee of the IWC to opt for financing funds. • The possibility of designing a joint strategy of Control and Surveillance against illegal fishing in the CMAR is being considered.

20. Perspectives: • Promotion of the work of the networks of the CMAR. • Collaboration for the implementation of the Program of Work of the CBD on Protected Areas (PoWPA) through the consolidation of trans-boundary areas. • Integration of new MPA´s to the CMAR. • Promotion of the visibility and importance of the existence of the CMAR. • Strengthening the linkages with international initiatives for the conservation of the marine environment (CBD, CPPS, CBI, among others). • Development of projects with international cooperation.

21. Thank You