They request intervention of the Environment in the face of accelerated drought of Estero Balsa beach

Montecristi. The Bahía De Manzanillo Center for Regional Development (CEBAMDER), requested the urgent intervention of the new minister of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Orlando Jorge Mera, to look for alternatives that allow keeping alive the mangroves of the Playa Estero Balsa ecosystem, in the Manzanillo Bay, where there are areas that continue to dry up rapidly.

The president of the CEBANDER Center, Frank Valenzuela, highlighted that officials from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, in the recent past, committed themselves to seek solutions to the protection problems of the Estero Balsa mangrove area.

However, it is worrying that in the face of the continuous drought of this important resource, no intervention has been carried out despite the continuous demands to intervene with feasible solutions to prevent the disappearance of this important environmental resource.

Valenzuela recalled that the mangrove ecosystem of Estero Balsa is formed by soils geologically considered as lake deposits and they form an important habitat for fauna where many species of fish and other aquatic organisms breed.

He commented that associated with the mangrove roots can be found the mangrove oyster, crab, snails, oysters, mussels, sea anemones, and sponges, as well as important fishing resources in the area.

Likewise, he said that between pipes and lagoons, the mangroves are rich with species such as white herons, flamingos, turtles, and crocodiles.

“Many species of fish also feed there, including shad and snappers, and most importantly, because they have thick vegetation and are rich in organic matter, the mangrove area in the ecosystem provides food for everyone,” Valenzuela said.

He recommended that community and civil society organizations in Manzanillo be integrated into a management plan for the Manzanillo mangrove ecosystem, as they represent the entities most interested in preserving that area since mangroves constitute an environmental heritage of the community.