The San San Pond Sak wetland is located in the province of Bocas del Toro, district of Changuinola and is part of the National System of Protected Areas (Sinap)

Panama City, September 21, 2024.- Since 2022, the Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE), with the collaboration of the Natura Foundation and the support of the Ecological Trust Fund of Panama (FIDECO), has promoted an important sea turtle monitoring project in the San San Pond Sak Wetland of International Importance (HIISSPS) which seeks to guarantee the species of sea turtles that nest in the region.

The project, led by MiAMBIENTE, is carried out with the support of the regional office of Bocas del Toro and its technical sections, in addition to the participation of organizations such as AMVECONA, volunteers from COOBANA RL, the local community and experts from the International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP). Thanks to this joint action, night patrols are carried out during the nesting seasons of the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a species in critical danger of extinction.

The main objective of the project is to strengthen the technical capacities of the park staff and local communities to monitor nesting beaches, describe the coastal ecosystems used by the turtles, and generate information that serves as a basis for a permanent monitoring program at HIISSPS.

Braulio Correa, coordinator of the FIDECO project, affirmed the positive impact of the allocation of resources and the strengthening of the work teams of MiAMBIENTE, community organizations and civil society, indicating that “the commitment that has been generated is evident, and this leads us to consolidate the HIISSPS as a reference in the research and monitoring of sea turtles.”

MiAMBIENTE, as resource manager, plays a key role in coordinating with community and academic organizations. This model has been key to successfully implementing conservation and monitoring activities, which contributes to the protection of the habitat of sea turtles and other endangered species, such as the manatee.

The achievements of this initiative include the training of 40 volunteers, the fulfillment of control and surveillance actions, and significant advances in research. Apart from the fulfillment of these goals, key alliances with COOBANA RL and AMVECONA have also been strengthened, and valuable information has been collected on the state of biodiversity in the area.