An inter-institutional cooperation agreement for the protection of the oceans and the marine environment was signed by the Ministry of the Environment (MiAmbiente) and the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP).

The agreement establishes a regulatory framework to authorize and regulate navigation in Panamanian jurisdictional waters, allowing the participation of ships that, free of charge, will support surveillance work, prevention of environmental crimes, coastal patrols, pollution control and the care of the country’s marine and coastal ecosystems.

The vessels that will participate in this project must have a navigation permit granted by the General Directorate of Merchant Marine of the AMP.

The administrator of the AMP, Luis Roquebert, explained that this agreement constitutes a model of technical and strategic collaboration between institutions, which not only seeks to be effective, but also to establish a precedent that serves as a reference for future national initiatives.

For his part, the Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro, said that the agreement marks an advance in the mission of protecting the oceans and marine biodiversity.

“Cooperation with the AMP strengthens the capacity to respond to environmental challenges and ensure sustainable management of our resources,” Navarro added.

On the other hand, the agreement recognizes that these habitats, essential for planetary health, are exposed to significant threats derived from human activities, such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (INDNR) fishing, marine pollution and the effects of climate change, which requires urgent and coordinated action for their protection.

Panama has more than 100 protected areas, such as the Coiba National Park and the Gulf of Chiriquí Marine National Park, in the Pacific, and key ecosystems in the Caribbean, such as coral reefs and mangroves. These spaces are crucial for the preservation of marine species and ecological balance.