A New Marine Park. Bravo Aruba!

Enact a protected marine zone. That was the challenge met by the Dutch Island of Aruba with the creation of its new Marine Park. Located on the edge of the most recently protected coastal areas on this highly touristic island, the Aruba Marine Park is a continuation of the Arikok National Park, the Spanish Lagoon —wetlands with RAMSAR classification— and Mangel Halto Beach. The project, led by the Department of Nature and Environment, an official government agency in Aruba, benefits from financing from the European BEST program for Overseas Territories, which provided 300,000 Euros out of a total budget of 350,000 Euros from May 2016 through April 2019. Aruba has also received funding from BEST to define the perimeter of this zone intended to protect the island’s marine biodiversity, and to develop its management structure. Romain Renoux, coordinator of the BEST program for the Caribbean islands, met with the local creators of the Marine Park when he visited Aruba on February 20-22, in order to check in with them on the progress of their project, identify any potential difficulties, and be brought up to date on their early results. Coming from Saint Martin, where the Réserve Naturelle was created in 1998, he was able to explain to his hosts about the work accomplished, without hiding the obstacles they met with before the park was completely accepted by the population.