The development of the management and zoning plans for the Sanctuary, which will encompass all coastal and pelagic areas including buffer zones, will be through collaboration with the primary marine stakeholders, government officials, local communities, and NGOs via a series of consultations and workshops, which will take place over a period of 12 months. The plans, which will be based on extensive consultations with local stakeholders, reviewed by the Scientific Committee, and approved by the Government, will regulate the use and guide the environmental and social objectives of the Sanctuary for the next 5 years. The Sanctuary is one of the largest marine protected areas in the Caribbean, covering an area of 8,000 km 2. The development of the Management and Marine Spatial Plan, as well as the implementation of priority environmental activities for the Sanctuary Arrecifes del Sureste, are in process.
Having signed the co-management agreement in 2018, the co-management bodies and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in the Dominican Republic are now in the final stages of planning.
