Grupo Argos receives special prize at Ocean Awards 2019

News | MAY 9th, 2019

Grupo Argos, through its Foundation, receives the Special Prize, awarded by Ocean Awards 2019 and the Blue Marine Foundation (one of the UK's main ocean conservation charities) thanks to the Alliance for the Conservation of the Biodiversity, Culture and Territory formed by National Natural Parks of Colombia, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Fundación Mario Santo Domingo.

This innovative idea protects the 13.31% expansion of the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary and the designation of two new marine protected areas of the coastal and marine ecosystems of Colombia, what means, more than four million hectares now have the designation of government as marine protected areas (MPAs). Protected areas consist of two newly created areas and the massive expansion of an existing National Natural Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Center.

The Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary has grown from 968,000 hectares to 2.68 million hectares and now constitutes the largest non-fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This is the area surrounding the island of Malpelo, 35 hectares, which holds colonies of the Galapagos petrel, Nazca and masked boobies and swallowtail gulls in critical danger.

In addition, two new Marine Protected Areas have been created: the Yurupari-Malpelo National Integrated Management District, which covers almost 2.7 million hectares; and Cabo Manglares Bajo Mira y Frontera, which covers 190,282 hectares.

Grupo Argos is fully committed to this process that seeks to conserve more than three million hectares of strategic ecosystems in the country and, thus, protect the biodiversity of our country.