4 LatAm nations create fishing-free corridor in east Pacific

By MANUEL RUEDA
Associated Press

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Four Latin American countries have announced that they will expand and unite their marine reserves to create a vast corridor in the Pacific Ocean in hopes of protecting species like sea turtles, tuna, squid and hammerhead sharks. The new marine corridor announced Tuesday will connect the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador with Colombia’s Malpelo Island and the Cocos and Coiba Islands in Costa Rican and Panamanian waters. It is aimed at protecting migratory marine species from fishing fleets of hundreds of vessels that visit the eastern Pacific each year. The announcement was made during the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where world leaders gathered to discuss carbon emission targets and other environmental policies.