Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Increased Protection of Coral Reefs

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

TEGUCIGALPA, Feb 13 2012 (IPS) - Environmental organizations and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Honduras have launched a program to conserve the coral reefs off the country’s Caribbean coast, considered the most beautiful in the world after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. The project forms part of an initiative to preserve the entire Mesoamerican Reef – shared by Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras – which is being implemented by international and regional agencies such as the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD). The presidency of the CCAD rotates on a six-month basis and is currently held by Honduras.

One of the sites targeted for protection through educational and awareness-raising campaigns is the Cordelia coral forest, a 21-hectare-long reef stretching through the Islas de la Bahía (Bay Islands) that encompasses a wealth of marine life, Environment Minister Rigoberto Cuéllar told Tierramérica.

There are also plans to design a marine recreation plan to ensure the protection of the coral forest, which is home to the largest population of live staghorn coral in the Caribbean and is currently threatened by diving and fishing, he added.