Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 nm zone): 26,623.85 km2 (13,739.59 km2 in the Caribbean and 12,884.26 km2 in the Pacific)
- Exclusive Economic Zone: 209,779.01 km2 (98,692.53 km2 in the Caribbean and 111,086.48 km2 in the Pacific)
National practices
National projects
- Towards Joint Integrated, Ecosystem-based Management of the Pacific Central American Coastal Large Marine Ecosystem (GEF PACA) – Pilot in the Gulf of Chiriquí
- MSPglobal – Transboundary pilot in the Southeast Pacific (2018-2021)
- Southeast Pacific data and information network in support to integrated coastal area management (SPINCAM Project) (2009-2020)
Overview of MSP related maritime uses
Current main uses:
| Shipping | Ports |
| Military | Mining |
| Fisheries | Aquaculture |
| Cables and pipelines | Scientific research |
| Nature conservation | Tourism and leisure |
| Underwater cultural heritage | Coastal protection |
| Radars |
Which marine spatial plans exist?
Name of the plan |
N/A |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
Pilot case |
Pre-planning |
Status: Underway |
Analysis for planning |
Status: N/A |
Development of the management plan |
Status: N/A |
Completion of the management plan |
Status: N/A |
Approval of the management plan |
Status: N/A |
Implementation of the management plan |
Status: N/A |
Revision of the management plan |
Status: N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
N/A |
Financing |
225,000 in local currency for the MSP proposal |
Time required to complete the plans |
To be determined in consultation workshops |
Drivers of MSP |
N/A |
Stakeholder participation |
To be determined in consultation workshops |
Sectors included in planning |
Environment; fishing; tourism; maritime; security; local governments; academia; NGOs; indigenous people |
Relation to coastal management |
Yes |
Relation to marine protected area management |
Yes |
Plan approval |
N/A |
Legal status of the plan |
N/A |
Plan revision |
N/A |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
N/A |
Legal framework
Executive Decree 431/2018 which created the Commission for the Formulation, Development and Monitoring of the National Ocean Policy.
A National Commission for the Oceans, composed of different institutions, has been created to create and implement the Policy where MSP is dictated as a methodology and planning tool for the management of our oceans.
For the time being, the mandate to implement the MSP methodology is given to the Ministry of Environment.