The new Director of Parks, Captain de Corbeta Radhames Lora Salcedo, announced a new series of rules that will apply to Isla Catalina (Serena Cay) in order to preserve its ecology. The island is under the permanent supervision of the Dominican Navy and the Ministry of Tourism.
All works that may affect the island’s vegetation have been prohibited. Likewise, work was discontinued on the construction of shelters to protect tourists from the sun, under the understanding that the coconut trees and the beach grape provide enough shade.
The Parks director also said that a study is underway to catalogue the flora and fauna and to combine these into the Sistema Natural de Areas Protegidas. He made the announcement to the press during a visit to the island to inspect work being carried out by the Costa Cruise Line to expand the beach area as agreed with the Dominican state whereby the passengers on their ships have the right to use the island.
In another announcement, the Director of Parks said that his department will be planting 700,000 trees along the renovated and expanded Autopista Duarte that connects Santo Domingo with the North Coast.