Biodiversity Day Celebrated with Exhibitions in Santo Domingo and Santiago

The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARENA), Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, unveiled the “Biodiversity Mural” in honor of International Biodiversity Day, celebrated last Friday with the slogan, “Biodiversity and Invasive Exotic Species.”

The theme of biodiversity has become a world-wide issue as a result of the Biological Diversity Agreement (BDA) of which the DR is a part.

The mural, painted by artist Ezequiel Soto, de San Juan of Maguana, is part of actions being taken to rescue the southern coastal park of which the coastal strip of Santo Domingo forms part. The program includes clean-up of solid waste and reforestation with coastal species such as beach grapes, mangle and palm trees. They are also building a fence along the cliff in the area that is now being used as a club by the residents of the Antonio Guzmán Fernández neighborhood.
  
The event was the first of a series of activities being sponsored by SEMARENA for International Biodiversity Day and will be going on for a month in Santo Domingo and Santiago.

There will be an exhibition until June 24 at the National Aquarium which features five invasive species from the Dominican oceans such as devil shrimp (Procambarus clarkii) and the Lion fish (Pterois volitans). The photo show “Biodiversity in the Dominican Republic” opened on Friday with a series of 70 images featuring endemic flora and fauna as well as the unique ecosystems in the country. These photos, taken by Miguel Ángel Landestoy, José Alejandro Álvarez and Ricardo Briones, will be on display for a month at the Grand Theater of Cibao in Santiago.

The theme of biodiversity has become a world-wide issue as a result of the Biological Diversity Agreement (BDA) of which the DR is a part. This year the theme of the day is “Biodiversity and Invasive Exotic Species.” These invasive species are the second greatest cause of biodiversity loss. The goal for 2010 is for all committed countries work toward slowing down the rhythm of biodiversity loss that has occurred over recent years. This is the reason for placing an emphasis on invasive species.  

The total annual cost caused by the invasions of exotic species has been conservatively estimated in the area of hundreds of billions of dollars. This includes loss of crops, grasslands and forests as well as environmental damage, cost control and market loss of agricultural products as a result of 40-year plagues.  This does not include the current extinction of species, loss of biodiversity, environmental services, ecosystems and aesthetics.