This week, the Governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and the United States held a high-level dialogue on the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR).

The CMAR, first announced by the Presidents of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama at COP26, is an initiative to create a marine reserve spanning more than 500,000 square kilometers. The partner countries will link several existing marine protected areas and create an uninterrupted, sustainably managed biological corridor.

The CMAR plan is to connect the Cocos, Coiba, Galápagos, Gorgona, and Malpelo Islands in a marine biosphere reserve.

The CMAR initiative will contribute to the goal of conserving 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030. This aims to help in preserving migratory routes for sea turtles, whales, sharks, and rays. It also addresses ocean ecosystem degradation, overfishing, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

By enhancing conservation of the marine habitat, this agreement helps protect marine biodiversity from the impacts of climate change, the U.S. Department of State said.

The U.S. role is to work with the governments of the four CMAR countries to identify opportunities for U.S. engagement, the U.S. Department of State said in its statement.

The U.S. has supported Costa Rica in regards to the Eastern Tropical Pacific seascape by:

• The donation of 200 vessel monitoring system transponders for the national fishing fleet and awarded two Central America Regional Security Initiative grants totaling $500,000 to Costa Rican NGOs to promote transparent fisheries governance and data accessibility in 2021.

• Creating a 10-year strategic plan between U.S. and the Costa Rican Coast Guard (CRCG) that includes developing major engineering maintenance facilities on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and establishing a small boat Center of Excellence maintenance training center and maintenance/supply depot.

• Establishing two State Department-funded USCG Curriculum Advisors supporting the CRCG’s engineering and maritime law enforcement curriculum and specialty training at the CRCG Academy.

• USCG supports Costa Rican maritime law enforcement operations by embarking ship riders and providing USCG law enforcement detachments to serve aboard Costa Rican surface assets. The USCG also transferred former USCG Cutters Long Island and Roanoke Island to the CRCG in 2017 through the Excess Defense Articles Program and transferred a third cutter in 2018 to be used for parts. The cutters have extended Costa Rica’s maritime coverage.

Also this week, the presidents of Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic signed an agreement with the United States, with the goal to develop an action plan on issues such as regional leadership, migration, refugees, environment, climate change, security, justice, fight against corruption and economic growth.

Last week, during his visit to the country, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, signed an immigration agreement with Costa Rica.  

This month, the new U.S. ambassador Cynthia Ann Telles began her duties in Costa Rica.