Latin America and Caribbean « Member Continents

Peru is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world. One of the main characteristics of the Peruvian sea is its high productivity originating from a system of permanent coastal upwelling, which sustains an important biodiversity and biomass of marine resources.

In this context, the State, through the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio del Ambiente, MINAM) constantly promotes the sustainable use of marine biodiversity and through the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado , SERNANP), promotes the management and creation of new natural protected areas, especially those in the marine area.

In 2019, MINAM created a multisectoral working group[1] in charge of compiling, analyzing and systematizing the technical-scientific information and the rights involved, in order to support the establishment of a National Reserve to conserve the Nazca Ridge seamount ecosystem.

The elaboration of the proposal for the Nazca Ridge National Reserve (Reserva Nacional Dorsal de Nasca, RNDN) is the result of more than two years of consensual and transparent work by the Multisectoral Working Group. Likewise, a broad process of citizen participation was carried out with artisanal fishermen’s associations, industrial-scale fishing associations, regional governments, civil society organizations and academia.

Supreme Decree N° 008-2021-MINAM created the Dorsal de Nasca National Reserve, which has an area of 62,392.0575 km2, located 57 nautical miles (105.56 km) off the coast of the department of Ica, with the objective of conserving a representative sample of the marine ecosystems associated with the Nazca Ridge area within the Peruvian Maritime Domain, contributing to the conservation of national biodiversity and increasing the representativeness of the National System of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SINANPE).

The RNDN is the first 100% marine protected area in Peru, allowing among others:

To conserve approximately 8% of our marine surface and part of the Nazca Ridge seamount chain, which crosses almost the entire South Pacific,
To conserve a representative sample of the marine ecosystem of submarine mountains and promote the sustainable use of fishing resources,
To provide a space to develop scientific research and expand knowledge about the species and living conditions in the seabed,
To contribute significantly to the global goals of percentage of Marine Protected Areas.
To allow the development of exploitation activities within the framework of respect for pre-existing rights and in harmony with the objectives of the protected area, as indicated in the national regulatory framework of Natural Protected Areas.

Synthesis of the Technical File of the Proposed Nazca Ridge National Reserve (RNDN)

Objective: To conserve a representative sample of marine ecosystems associated with the Nazca Ridge area located within the Peruvian Maritime Domain, thus contributing to the conservation of national biodiversity and increasing the representativeness of SINANPE, and coexisting with other economic and productive activities that comply with current regulations and the binding opinion of SERNANP.

The area of the proposed RNDN has an area of 62,392.0575 km2, which represents 7.06% of the Peruvian Maritime Domain (consider that according to DICAPI the Peruvian Maritime Domain is 855,475. 1096 km2, the same data is found in the statement of reasons that approves the National Maritime Policy-DS 012-2019-DE, with this data the percentage that represents the area of the RNDN is 7.29% of the maritime domain); being 3 times larger than the area of the department of Ica, and the same size as the department of Arequipa.

Currently there is 0.5% PNA coverage in the marine zone, adding to this the RNDN (7.3%), it could reach a percentage of PNA coverage in the marine area of 7.8% of the maritime domain.