By Fundación Ariana
To shelter marine life, provide safe breeding grounds, curb environmental degradation from threats such as indiscriminate fishing, habitat destruction,pollution, and ensure long-term sustainability, Marine Protected Areas or safe zones for marine conservation were established in 1962, managed by governments, local communities, and organizations.
Among the Southeast Pacific countries, of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, more than 100 Marine and Coastal Protected Areas are interconnected, These areas harbor some of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet, such as the Central American Thermal Dome, the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), Galapagos Islands, and the Rapa Nui Multiple-Use Marine and Coastal Protected Area.
RAMPAS: a shared vision of the ocean based on regional collaboration
To protect, conserve, and restore biodiversity through an ecological network and regional cooperation, the Network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of the Southeast Pacific RAMPAS was created by the South Pacific Commission (CPPS), with support from the International Climate Initiative’s (IKI) Save The Blue Five project.
“The Southeast Pacific is an important region for migratory species such as: whales, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, and manta rays. These species travel great distances and know no borders, so their conservation requires regional coordination and connectivity between protected areas”, emphasizes Jan Kleine Büning, Director of the Save The Blue Five Project. ”, emphasizes Jan Kleine Büning, Director of the Save The Blue Five Project.
This network, made up of the CPPS countries (Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile) and with Costa Rica as a collaborating country, within the framework of the implementation of its Strategic Plan 2025–2035, promoted in Rapa Nui a regional space for the articulation of the Network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of the Southeast Pacific with representatives of the countries, environmental authorities and local communities to promote the development of coordinated management measures for marine conservation, the strengthening of capacities and the regional exchange of experiences.
Rapa Nui and the management of the sacred sea
The Rapa Nui Multiple-Use Marine and Coastal Protected Area, or Te Moana Tapu a Hotu Matu’a (The Sacred Sea of Hotu Matu’a), is an example of connectivity and respect for marine life, thanks to the close historical and cultural relationship the community maintains with the ocean and the sustainable management of more than 729,000 square kilometers of protected sea. History has provided life lessons for the sustainability of its marine resources. One example of this is the way in which resource extraction is regulated, respecting the sacred restriction (tapu) of temporary fishing for the regeneration of the ecosystem and its species.
“The management of this Marine Protected Area focuses not only on ecological conservation, but also on maintaining the historical and cultural relationship that the rapa nui people have with the sea. The community understands the ocean as part of its identity and not just as an economic resource says Leonardo Marriaga, coordinator of the Regional Action Plan for the protection of the marine environment at the South Pacific Commission.
Although geographically Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated territories on the planet, culturally, ecologically, and spiritually it represents one of the most connected points in the Pacific Ocean, due to its ancestral relationship with the sea and the ocean routes that link the continent and Polynesia.
“For the rapa nui people, the sea is not only a source of food security; the ocean is our ancestor. There is a profound spiritual relationship with the sea that goes beyond the visible. Te Moana Tapu a Hotu Matu’a represents precisely that sacred dimension: the sacred sea from which we come and which we must protect , says Ludovic Burns Tuki, Coordinator of Koro Nui o Te Vaikava (Rapa Nui Local Sea Council).
RAMPAS meeting defines regional management for the coming years
During the meeting, the delegation representing the Marine and Coastal Protected Areas of the CPPS countries, together with observer members and representatives of the Rapa Nui local authorities, defined strategic lines to strengthen coordination among States, promote the exchange of experiences and best practices, strengthen local and national capacities, foster the participation of communities, indigenous people, academia, and civil society, and generate scientific and community knowledge to improve marine management.
“Beyond a technical platform, RAMPAS seeks to build a shared vision of the ocean based on regional collaboration. The Rapa Nui experience offers an important lesson for the Southeast Pacific: each marine protected area possesses its own sovereignty, ecological characteristics, and management models, but all are regionally connected through migratory species, ocean currents, and shared conservation challenges , says Salvador Vega, Secretary General of the South Pacific Commission (CPPS).
As a collaborating country, Costa Rica also expressed its willingness to provide technical assistance and share its expertise in the management and conservation of migratory marine species, especially sea turtles, an area in which it has extensive regional experience. This exchange of knowledge aims to strengthen the capacities of RAMPAS member countries and promote more coordinated and effective management of marine protected areas in the Southeast Pacific.
“Costa Rica sees RAMPAS as a key platform for regional cooperation to strengthen the management of marine protected areas and the conservation of migratory species that travel across a shared ocean without regard for borders. This network will allow for the exchange of experiences, capacity building, and progress toward greater ecological connectivity among the countries of the Southeast Pacific , says Rotney Piedra Chacón, Ministry of Environment and Energy, National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).
In an ocean where migratory species travel thousands of kilometers without regard for borders, RAMPAS emerges as a regional initiative to connect territories, knowledge, and communities around a common purpose: protecting the marine life of the Southeast Pacific for future generations.
