Guatemala has 250 kilometers of Pacific coastline stretching across six departments and supporting nearly 300 coastal communities. This region is one of the country’s most productive, with a rich diversity of habitats, including sandy beaches, estuaries, herbaceous wetlands, coastal lagoons, and mangroves.
These coastal ecosystems are vital for climate change mitigation and serve as key feeding and breeding grounds for species such as sharks, rays, mantas, and fish, in addition to providing nesting sites for sea turtles and migratory routes for birds. The area is also home to up to 12 marine mammal species, including the humpback whale, which migrates along the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
The Pacific Coast region sustains at least 300,000 people who rely directly on its natural resources and more than two million who benefit indirectly, with fishing serving as a crucial economic driver for food security in the region. Among the notable fish species are Dorado, Snapper, Snook, Sailfish, Tuna, and various demersal species. Additionally, this marine-coastal area supports economic activities such as aquaculture, agriculture, tourism, sport fishing, and other recreational services.
Despite its importance, coastal and marine areas are underrepresented in the Guatemalan Protected Areas System (SIGAP), where 32% of protected areas are predominantly terrestrial. To address this gap, CONAP launched the Marine Agenda in 2010 to identify "Conservation Gaps in the Pacific." This preliminary study highlighted biologically significant areas that should be included in SIGAP.
Since 2017, WCS has collaborated with CONAP-SIGAP to advance this agenda, working with governmental institutions, local communities, municipalities, private companies, and other partners to conduct technical studies that support the declaration of multiple-use coastal-marine areas and the creation of a Marine Biosphere Reserve. Starting in 2019, technical studies have been prepared to establish multiple-use areas like Tiquisate-Tecojate and Tulate-Churirin-Chiquistepeque. Currently, Congress is considering two draft legislations to support the creation of protected coastal-marine areas in Tiquisate-Tecojate and Sipacate-Naranjo.
These technical studies have been developed in collaboration with local communities. A “Multiple-Use” category is recommended in all cases, allowing for sustainable development options that ensure responsible use of natural resources, strengthen livelihoods, and contribute to community well-being. Among the most significant achievements has been the development of the first technical study for an exclusively marine area: the Pacific Marine Biosphere Reserve, located between 12 and 85 nautical miles offshore. This reserve spans approximately 22,000 km² and proposes zoning that includes fisheries management areas (47%), buffer zones (13%), and areas for sustainable use and conservation (40%). The reserve’s management is envisioned as a joint effort between the Ministry of National Defense, CONAP, and DIPESCA/MAGA.
Conservation Challenges
La sostenibilidad de las áreas protegidas en la costa del Pacífico requiere un firme compromiso del gobierno de Guatemala para atraer inversiones orientadas a la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible de los recursos marinos y costeros, potenciando así actividades como el turismo y la diversificación económica. Es esencial que haya una estrecha coordinación entre el CONAP, la autoridad pesquera (DIPESCA) y el Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional, de manera que cada institución pueda intervenir según sus competencias.
Es clave trabajar con las autoridades gubernamentales para impulsar esta oportunidad única de establecer áreas protegidas marino-costeras, cumpliendo con las Metas Nacionales como la Política Marítima Nacional, las Contribuciones Nacionalmente Determinadas y el Convenio sobre Diversidad Biológica. Estas iniciativas pueden atraer inversión al país y fomentar el desarrollo sostenible de las comunidades costeras locales.