Cuba celebrates World Wetlands Day

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 2 (ACN) “Nature, always dazzling, keeps unbeatable beauties under the waters,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote today on Twitter on the occasion of World Wetlands Day, in a message urging everyone to preserve and look after these areas in order to ensure their sustainability and enjoyment.

The Cuban presidency also recalled the date established in 1997 in commemoration of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, on February 2, 1971, pointing out that more than 95% of Cuba's platform is bordered by coral reefs with great biodiversity and warning that this privilege should force us to study and protect them.

The government’s message also stressed the need to preserve the connection between mangroves, seagrass meadows and coral reefs, a process bound to ensure resilience to Climate Change and the sustainability of fishery resources.

Likewise, the Cuban presidency recalled that the "Jardines de la Reina" National Park, which spans the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Avila, is the largest marine protected area in the Caribbean.

“The sea unites us with our neighbors, with whom we share marine resources of incredible value. We assume that fact through science, responsibility and a spirit of cooperation,” the tweet added.

Celebrated annually on February 2, World Wetlands Day aims to raise awareness of the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet and make a call to invest financial, human and political capital in efforts to keep the world's wetlands from disappearing and restore those that have been degraded.