Noticias

Minister Miguel Ceara Hatton highlights the importance of living in harmony with ecosystems during the signing of the commitment with Promiches executives.

SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic) – The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MMARN) and the El Seibo-Miches Hotel and Tourism Association (Promiches) formalized a collaboration agreement this Tuesday to implement the monitoring and protection program for sea turtles in Miches.

Through the signing of a cooperation agreement, the entities also committed to promoting education, social awareness, research and scientific dissemination about the species that have nested in the Miches area and La Vacama beach for more than five years.

The agreement was signed during an event led by the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Miguel Ceara Hatton, and the Vice President of Promiches, William Phelan, representing the organizations that are part of the Board of Directors of the Marine Turtle Monitoring and Protection Program (Prototortoise).

“We have to coexist with ecosystems, not dominate them, because otherwise the environment will defeat growth,” Ceara Hatton stated, after noting that climate change brings with it problems such as high temperatures, forest fires, and floods, which must be taken into account by humans in all their decisions. “This agreement we just signed with Promiches is an example that we should emulate throughout the country of how to do things differently to allow nature to coexist with development and growth,” Hatton affirmed.

He argued that development is important so that the children of this generation can have a better quality of life. “We have to learn to live with nature; not to dominate it, because if we don’t, nature will make us pay dearly,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources, José Ramón Reyes López, noted that the arrival of sea turtles on beaches to lay their eggs promotes the transfer of minerals from the ocean to the surface, maintaining a healthy exchange for ecosystems. “In turn, they help balance the populations of other organisms, such as jellyfish and sponges, on which they feed, and whose overpopulation would represent a risk to the imbalance of coral reefs,” he said.

For his part, Phelan praised the capacity of tourism in Miches to generate well-being for present and future generations. Phelan maintained that all the institutions that agree in Protortoise They are committed to working with the public sector and local communities to protect marine biodiversity. “Together, we aspire to make this initiative a national and regional model for sea turtle conservation, for the pride and well-being of our community and our country,” he stated.

Members of the advisory board were also present at the signing of the agreement. Prototortoise; representatives of the Miches community; the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the French Embassy.

The program will begin with a pilot project in Playa Esmeralda, from the mouth of the Jovero River to Punta de El Rey, and will expand its area, always within the boundaries of the municipality of Miches, El Seibo province; and La Vacama, La Altagracia province.

The parties will make joint efforts to prevent the entry and use of single-use plastics, especially expanded polystyrene (EPS), in nesting areas, and to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate other types of plastic. To achieve this goal, Promiches will promote and support member hotels in implementing responsible management practices for these materials, with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MMARN).

Promiches, together with the institutions that make up the Board of Directors of PrototortoiseThe Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources committed to funding the program, including hiring the management and supervisory team; covering the logistical costs of beach monitoring; providing materials for protecting nests and hatchlings; conducting educational initiatives; and promoting agreements with national and international scientific research institutions. The National Aquarium, under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, will serve as the rescue center for injured sea turtles and the conservation of their eggs.

Protortoise It integrates various companies and institutions that operate in the coastal area of ​​Miches, including the Punta Cana Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM), Tropicalia, Club Med and Rancho Wild District.