Reuters
November 2, 2021
Colombia will designate a further 16 million hectares (39.5 million acres) of its maritime areas as protected next year, eight years earlier than planned, President Ivan Duque said on Tuesday at the global COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. read moreThe plans envisage new conservation zones off Colombia's Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
The Andean country has already established maritime reserves across just over 12.4 million hectares of its seas and the protection of further areas forms part of plans to protect 30% of Colombia's land and sea area by 2030.
After bringing its target forward, Colombia will count just over 28 million hectares of its seas protected next year.
"In this way, we are reaffirming our commitment to ... protecting our oceans," Duque said in a statement.