On March 22, the Governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and the United States of America held a high-level dialogue on the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) in San José, Costa Rica. During the dialogue, Under Secretary Jose W. Fernandez and Assistant Secretary Monica P. Medina announced U.S. government support for the CMAR. The U.S. Government will work with the governments of the four CMAR countries to identify opportunities for U.S. engagement.
The CMAR, announced by the Presidents of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama at COP26, is an initiative to link several existing marine protected areas and create an uninterrupted, sustainably managed biological corridor spanning more than 500,000 square kilometers. The CMAR initiative comprises a world-renowned ecosystem and will connect the Cocos, Coiba, Galápagos, Gorgona, and Malpelo Islands in a marine biosphere reserve.
The CMAR initiative will contribute to the goal of conserving 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030; preserve migratory routes for sea turtles, whales, sharks, and rays; address ocean ecosystem degradation, overfishing, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; enhance conservation of the marine habitat; and help protect marine biodiversity from the impacts of climate change.
