Los Cóbanos Declared as First Natural Marine Protected Area of El Salvador
November 23 , 2007

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In order to preserve the natural resources and contribute to the sustainable development and health of the Salvadoran population, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Carlos José Guerrero, signed today the declaration of protection of Los Cóbanos, in Barra Salada, Sonsonate, in western El Salvador.

With an extension of 21,312 hectares, this is not only the first natural marine protected area established in the country, but also the largest within the Natural Protected Areas System (SANP, in Spanish) created under the Environment Law in 1998. The new protected area encompasses a coastal strip from Santa Agueda or El Zope (2.5 kilometers south of Acajutla Port) property of the government to the mangroves of Barra Salada (20 kilometers southeast) in Sonsonate. The area includes the beach and intermediate mangroves (20,736 marine and 576 on land).

The Declaration of Los Cóbanos has been supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Promoting Economic Opportunities Program, through its conservation of critical watershed project.

The greatest importance of this natural area lies in the tremendous quantity and quality of biodiversity. This includes unique coral reef formations found in the Pacific Ocean coast between Mexico and Costa Rica, sand beaches full of shells and corals, plants and mangroves, and sea animals related to this habitat. Fishing communities and industries use these natural resources for their subsistence.

The ceremony was attended by Minister Guerrero; U.S. Ambassador Charles L. Glazer; USAID Mission Director, Deborah Kennedy-Iraheta; Minister of Toursim, Ruben Rochi; Congressman Roberto D’Abuisson; President of the Corporation of Municipalities, Milagro Navas; Mayor of Acajutla, Casimiro Sosa; Mayor of Sonsonate, José Roberto Aquino; President of the Salvadoran Institute for Agrarian Transformation, Armando Zepeda; and the Executive Director of the National Registry Center, Gerardo Suvillaga. Representatives of other Government institutions, NGOs and community development associations attended the ceremony.

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