Spanish
Punta Cana.- The Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources of the Ministry of Environment, José Ramón Reyes, spoke about the main environmental challenges facing the tourism sector of the Dominican Republic, pointing out that they are marine pollution, sargassum, and the effects of climate change.
Reyes said that one of the most critical problems is the accumulation of waste on the beaches, especially plastics, this is affecting wildlife, such as the case of sea turtles that face difficulties in spawning due to the obstruction of garbage on the coasts.
“Tourism depends on our beaches, and we have more and more waste that affects both the visitor experience and marine biodiversity,” he said.
The official also mentioned the importance of environmental education, not only for tourists, but also for Dominicans.
Another of the topics addressed was global warming, which, as Reyes explained, is raising ocean temperatures, killing corals, and causing sea intrusion in coastal areas.
“The sea is advancing and stealing space from our streets. That should worry us all,” he warned.
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Regarding sargassum, he described it as "the big problem of the moment" throughout the Caribbean region. "This is not a problem exclusive to the Dominican Republic; countries like Mexico face it on a larger scale," he indicated.
The Ministry of Environment is working on more sustainable and less invasive collection methods, in addition to installing containment barriers with the support of the private sector.
Finally, the Deputy Minister reported that regional cooperation efforts are already being promoted to jointly address the sargassum.
“We are currently working with other Latin American countries to find integrated solutions to this phenomenon that affects us all,” he concluded.
