The First Central American Congress of Protected Areas gets cracking in Nicaragua

The First Central American Congress of Protected Areas had its opening session Monday in Managua keen to discussing rational exploitation of those zones that take up 18 percent of Nicaragua’s total surface. The first reports to the conclave were presented by Panama, Belize and Mexico. Participants are expected to hammer out a final strategic plan for the region.

Alongside the event that came to a close last Friday with a turnout of 800 people, the first-ever tradeshow on ecological tourism for protected areas –featuring pavilions, handicraft exhibits and traditional cuisine- was also held.

Local authorities are painstakingly trying to preserve the area’s flora and wildlife and put together a comprehensive strategy for the management of this unfathomable natural treasure.

According to relevant data published by local media outlets, tropical dry forests –commonplace in all of the Nicaraguan territory- are almost nonexistent in the rest of the Central American region.

Only Nicaragua and Costa Rica preserve patches of those forest areas seriously devastated in the course of the last century by intense farming and unfettered demographic growth.

The area –known locally as Domitila- harbors 65 mammal species, including monkeys and wildcats, plus 125 species of birds, reptiles, butterflies and tropical bugs.

Nicaraguan president Enrique Bolaños attended the congress opening ceremony.