The Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE), under the direction of Minister Juan Carlos Navarro, has initiated an environmental recovery operation on Escudo de Veraguas Island. These actions aim to protect the marine ecosystem and endangered species that inhabit this natural paradise, created in 2009 through Resolution AG-0095-2009 under the management category "Protected Landscape" and incorporated into the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP). During the inspection, Navarro assessed the deterioration of the site: illegally built houses, accumulated solid waste, extraction of lobsters and crabs, and activities that directly affected the endemic flora and fauna, such as the pygmy three-toed sloth, unique in the world, and the Escudo hummingbird. The island is also a crucial nesting site for baula, green, and hawksbill sea turtles. "We found the island turned into a dump, with structures built on reefs and seagrass, illegal fishing using chemicals, and the extraction of protected species. We could not allow this to continue," the minister stated. A temporary closure of one year has been decreed, during which ecological restoration programs and training for local communities in responsible fishing and community-based ecotourism will be developed. The operation will involve the inter-institutional participation of the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP), the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN), the Environmental, Rural, and Tourist Police, as well as the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) and the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP). The goal is to ensure the protection of endemic fauna and flora, restore the ecosystems, and guarantee the sustainability of this site known as the "Galápagos of Panama." "We will talk with the communities, they are part of this process," Navarro concluded, emphasizing that the recovery of the island is a collective effort to preserve a unique treasure of Panama.
