Panama Adopts the Saboga Wildlife Refuge, Protecting Critical Sea Turtle Habitat and Upholding the Rights of Nature
Updated: 4 days ago
Panama City, Panama: On September 12, 2024, the Minister of the Environment of Panama, Juan Carlos Navarro, signed a Ministerial Decree No. DM-0631-2024, (Gaceta No. 30122-A, 19 September 2024) designating the Saboga Wildlife Refuge, an 83.01 square kilometer area, including 10 islands and islets of the Pearl Islands Archipelago.
The Pearl Islands Archipelago is a collection of over 240 islands and islets and 3,188 beaches, located in the Gulf of Panama, approximately 48 kilometers off the Pacific Coast of Panama. This Archipelago has an impressive marine species richness and diversity that has yet to be fully studied and recognized for its importance within the Latin American region and around the globe. It provides, at least currently or historically, a breeding ground for four sea turtle species: hawksbill, green, leatherback, and olive ridley sea turtles. The hawksbill and green sea turtles forage on the algae growing on the threatened coral reef ecosystem located in the bay of Saboga Island. Additionally, this area is a nursery ground for hammerhead sharks and humpback whales to breed and raise their young. The Pearl Islands Archipelago also hosts highly understudied coral reef ecosystems. Preliminary studies have documented 57 species of corals in 53 locations throughout the Archipelago. Saboga and surrounding islands are also home to a subspecies of boa constrictor, Boa constrictor sabogae, that is endemic to the Pearl Islands Archipelago.
