The COCOS SWIMWAY
Since 1998, more than 50,000 square miles surrounding the Galápagos has been set aside as a marine reserve, protected from industrial fishing. Now, additionally, 20,000 square miles of ocean next to the archipelago, will be (partially) protected from fishing. No fishing will be allowed in half of the newly protected area, while longline fishing will be banned in the other half. The government’s environmental minister conceded there is illegal fishing in existing protected areas. Experts hope the government will also increase the protection of the core of the marine reserve.
The Eastern Pacific holds some of the most magnificent oceanic wildlife on the planet. Anyone that dives and loves to see nature will have heard of Galapagos, Malpelo and Cocos Island. Some of the best shark diving in the world is in the waters surrounding those islands. Cocos Island is located about 340 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, which is the country it belongs to. Malpelo belongs to Colombia. The Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador. While both islands have protections in place for their resident species, at varying degrees, there is little protection for them once they migrate beyond the reserves waters where commercial fishing fleets lie in waiting. Sharks, sea turtles, whales, and fish migrate between the islands and the underwater seamounts of the Cocos, Caranegie and Malpelo ridge.
MigraMar is an organization that brings together a network of scientists from non-profit organizations and government agencies from different parts of the American continent to work on the investigation and conservation of migratory marine species in the region of the Eastern Pacific. Through their data, they have built a strong case for protecting the swimway, by documenting the species that use it. With populations of migratory species declining, the campaign to protect this important area of the open ocean is underway. Read more about their science and find a link to their Biological Justification of the Cocos-Galapagos Swimway. Making this a reality is no easy feat, due to the fact that there are powerful commercial interests at play, and decisionmaking is further complicated by the different jurisdictions that rule over the islands and the surrounding waters. Many organizations have joined this campaign, such as Mission Blue, who have declared the area a Hope Spot and created an excellent story map of the initiative. Turtle Island Network, created an Ad and rounded up the troops in support, which is how Shark Allies has joined the campaign. We hope to bring even more support to this important effort in the months to come.
