Environment Ministry orders eviction of Luperón Bay Refuge to protect ecosystem

Puerto Plata.- The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered residents of the Luperón Bay Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Plata to vacate the protected area within 15 days due to significant environmental damage. Minister Paíno Henriquez, who inspected the site, stated that these occupants—about 200 people—are polluting the wetland in the Mangles Abajo sector by dumping waste and building unauthorized structures that disrupt the natural water flow, worsening trash accumulation.

Henríquez has requested assistance from the Ministry of the Presidency to manage the social impact on those affected, with a meeting scheduled to discuss relocation options for the families before their homes are demolished. After the area is vacated, the Ministry plans to promote sustainable tourism development to protect the bay’s valuable ecosystems, which support manatees, seabirds, mangroves, and seagrass meadows—key resources for local economic growth and coastal protection against hurricanes.