In one of his first acts as Environment Minister, Orlando Jorge Mera visited the National Aquarium on Av. España on Wednesday, 19 August to see for himself what needs to be done. The National Aquarium is closed, but plans are for a reopening. He was there to swear in the new director of the aquarium, Wanda García. She was appointed by Decree 339-20.
The Santo Domingo Aquarium opened in 1990. It is located beside the Caribbean Sea. Jorge Mera said the aquarium had practically been abandoned. He said that the new director would lead the transformation to restore the aquarium to its rightful place as a marine zoo par excellence.
“The aquarium is closed for health safety reasons, but that is not a reason to leave it to its own fate; we must rescue the aquarium,” Jorge Mera tweeted.
Technical areas need to be reviewed, improvements are needed in the reproduction and/or incubation laboratories, providing them with the necessary equipment. He said the release of manatees in captivity is on the aquarium’s program for this year.
“We are going to work hard so that this aquarium can have the splendor of other years, keeping in mind that this is a work that is 30 years old,” he pledged.
He said the Ministry of Environment is working on its relaunch as an entity that preserves the environment, natural resources, the ecosystems and protects marine fauna. The past authorities were harshly criticized for major violations to environmental laws and regulations.
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Hoy
19 August 2020