In the framework of the International Day of the Oceans, the more than 800 men and women of the Specific Command of San Andr茅s and Providencia, made up of the components of the Navy, Army and Air Force, reaffirm the commitment to protect the sovereignty of our seas and their resources.
180,000 square kilometers of the Archipelago Department of San Andr茅s, Providencia and Santa Catalina, constitute the habitat that houses the great biodiversity of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, which gave it recognition in 2000 as world heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -UNESCO-, due to its ecological importance and contribution to the well-being of humanity.
This geographic area constitutes a challenge for the nation and for the men and women who are responsible for protecting its maritime territory and resources.
In this way, the permanent commitment of the Colombian Navy, together with the effort of science, has led to a significant boost to scientific research.
This effort has contributed greatly to the formulation of the National Plan for Scientific Expeditions, of which the Seaflower Expedition is part, which, in its sixth version, shows the inter-institutional synergy conducted by the Colombian Ocean Group, the Colombian Navy, the Mar铆time General Directorate, the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation -Colciencias-, and the Departmental Government, among others, for working for the benefit of the oceans ecosystem.
In this expedition it was possible the participation of more than 50 national and international academic institutions, which has led to documenting and rediscovering the richness of this reserve, making it the most representative icon of the sea protection in Colombia.
In addition to this effort, the Specific Command of San Andr茅s and Providencia with its men of sea, land and air, focusing its effort on the protection of natural resources, have managed to find more than two tons of illegal fishing in the year 2020.
Similarly, men of the Colombian Navy are in charge of preserving and releasing sea turtles on the different islands of the Insular Region, leading them to be born in optimal health conditions, and then be returned to their natural habitat, where they count on the necessary conditions for growth, survival and development.
In the same way, the San Andr茅s and Providencia Coast Guard Stations carry out operations against environmental crimes, carrying out constant patrols that have led to the discovery of elements that go against fishing laws and the marine ecosystem, such as harpoons, which are used indiscriminately for fishing In protected areas.
Source: press - Colombian Navy
