Americas > Dominican Republic formally commits to protecting 30% of waters

Dominican Republic formally commits to protecting 30% of waters

Published 14:50 on April 12, 2024  /  Last updated at 15:00 on April 12, 2024  / Alejandra Padin-Dujon /  Americas, Biodiversity, International

The Dominican Republic has formally committed to protecting at least 30% of its waters, fulfilling part of its commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

The Dominican Republic has formally committed to protecting at least 30% of its waters, fulfilling part of its commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Some 30.8% of Dominican waters will be protected through a trans-boundary marine protected area (MPA) straddling the Colombian sea border, the largest MPA in the Caribbean, Blue Marine Foundation said Friday.

The MPA was informed by two scientific expeditions this year, which showed that the southern Beata Ridge and Silver Bank are critical for species migration and reproduction patterns, respectively. These areas are used by whales, dolphins, sea birds, sharks, and others.

Expeditions used visual census, hydro-acoustic technology, underwater vehicles, and DNA released from organisms into the surrounding environment.

“The government of the Dominican Republic has taken a momentous step toward marine conservation leadership with this evidence-based designation,” said Dr Judith Brown, project director of Blue Marine Foundation, which funded the expedition on the southern Beata Ridge, together with Blue Nature Alliance and the Wyss Foundation.

“It will preserve migratory pathways of key species, like sperm whales, and advance MPA connectivity across borders, hopefully acting as a catalyst to accelerate the establishment of a network of MPAs throughout the Caribbean.”

BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK

In December 2022, delegates from 196 nations at the COP15 UN biodiversity conference approved the GBF, with observers at the time emphasising that strong national implementation would be crucial.

The final text, which included four goals and 23 targets, committed in target 3 to protecting 30% of land and oceans by 2030.

Since COP15, the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People – led by Costa Rica and France with the UK acting as co-chair for oceans – has set up a secretariat and released a toolkit to aid countries seeking to meet the target.

However, only “a handful” of countries have put GBF-aligned marine protection measures in place, according to Blue Marine Foundation.

The GBF Fund, established last year, approved its first grants totalling $40 million in March.

By Alejandra Padin-Dujon – alejandra@carbon-pulse.com