More than five million pesos were allocated during the year 2024 for the protection and preservation of mangroves in the province of Las Tunas, an activity that falls mainly on the Agroforestry Enterprise (EAF in Spanish), which results in multiple benefits.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- According to recent calculations by the entity's specialists, the area occupied by mangrove vegetation within the forest patrimony of the Tunas territory includes natural and conservation areas and exceeds 19,040.24 hectares.
This space is divided into six municipalities, where the four main species are found, commonly known as red mangrove, black mangrove, Patabán (white mangrove), and Yana (button mangrove). The protected areas Bahía de Malagueta, in the municipality of Puerto Padre; Las Nuevas, in ‘Jesús Menéndez’, and San Miguel del Junco, in Amancio, stand out.
The plantations of Monte Naranjito, in Majibacoa, with a relevant natural element composed of 207 hectares of button mangroves, more than 40 kilometers from the coast, are also important. Besides, the mangroves of the only Ramsar site in the province -for the level of conservation of its faunal and floral values-, are located south of Jobabo.
The technical and development director of the EAF, Jorge Luis Padilla Carralero, informed that all these areas have projects for the protection and conservation of flora and fauna, which allows for evaluating the natural state of these formations and the affectations that could occur to them.
He added that actions for the restoration of these strips are included, such as the repopulation of deforested areas, surveillance, and the prevention of illegal activities, as the mangroves are often attacked for the illegal extraction of bark and other parts of the plant.
These forests of special characteristics are very valuable in the face of extreme meteorological events such as strong winds and floods and favor the transfer of sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and freshwater, as well as being a refuge for a wide range of marine fauna.
Caring for them is a collective responsibility that is strengthened by environmental education for those who live in the coastal settlements of the Tuna territory, and this includes talks and a circle of interest on the subject in schools in the Guayabal area.
