Noticias

This year, the El Seibo-Miches Hotel and Tourism Association (Promiches) supported the Vice Ministry of Coastal and Marine Affairs, under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, in implementing the Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Initiative at Playa Esmeralda, Miches. The leatherback sea turtle season begins in March and extends until the end of August.

The first hatching of the 2021 season, which was also the first in the country, occurred on the aforementioned beach on May 16. At the close of the season, three leatherback turtle nests had been identified and protected, resulting in a total of 233 hatched eggs and the same number of turtles reaching the sea.

Until a few years ago, Playa Esmeralda was a dangerous area for turtles. The acquisition of this land by environmentally responsible business groups, and the permanent presence of their employees in the area, along with members of the Dominican Navy, have facilitated the monitoring of this beach by environmental personnel and improved the safety of the turtles and their nests.

“This initiative is part of the Comprehensive Management Plan implemented through the Public-Private Management Board, which integrates the public and private stakeholders responsible for coastal management in the country. It is precisely the combined effort of the public sector, the commitment of the private sector, and the integration of the community that yields such satisfactory results as those we achieved this season, in which not a single turtle was hunted, nor a single nest looted,” commented Yamil Isaías, president of Promiches.

In addition to identifying and protecting Tinglar turtle nests, Promiches produced an awareness video about the importance of the arrival of sea turtles to the coasts of Miches and the need to protect their visit, as an indicator of the health of the coastal ecosystem.

For his part, the Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Affairs, José Ramón Reyes, said that “Sea turtles are among the most threatened species on the planet and also one of the longest-lived, having been on Earth since the age of the dinosaurs some 200 million years ago. As the Ministry of the Environment, we are committed to addressing the problems that threaten these magnificent species, such as ocean debris, plastics, fishing nets in which they become entangled, changes in ocean temperature, and the increase in tourism on the beaches where they nest.”

“We are very pleased to express that the Ministry of Environment congratulates Promiches on this action, and from our position as Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources, we fully commit to collaborating in everything that represents the guarantee of care and conservation of these marine species,” the official added.

Promiches brings together the main tourism investors in the Miches destination with the purpose of developing it under a sustainable, low-density, environmentally responsible, and socially inclusive luxury tourism model. Its vision is to develop and position the Miches tourist destination and the province of El Seibo, promoting the establishment and growth of innovative and responsible businesses that protect and enhance the area’s environmental and cultural diversity, differentiate the national tourism offerings, and contribute to the country’s social and economic development.