(KPL/Prensa Latina) Three new areas: a Cuabales mountain range, a migratory bird refuge, and a coral reef of more than 20,000 hectares, in the province of Pinar del Río, in western Cuba, were declared protected, it was reported today.

These are the Sierra Preluda-Cuabales de Cajálbana, located in the municipality of La Palma; the Sancho Pardo Bank, in Sandino; and Punta Caribe, south of San Luis.

According to Damaris Gallardo, deputy delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma) in Pinar del Río, the Cuabales de Cajálbana, stretching from one end of the Guaniguanico mountain range to the other, along 160 kilometers shared between Pinar del Río and Artemisa, are unparalleled.

“This plant formation has extraordinary scientific value due to its high degree of endemism and the presence of endangered species. Although its unique thickets are the most representative natural element, in the depression between Sierra Preluda and the southern slope of Cajálbana, there is a pine forest on serpentine, with a stratum rich in endemic species, making it a very diverse and complex ecosystem,” the expert explained to the newspaper Granma.

For her part, she indicated that the Sancho Pardo Bank is of enormous importance to the region, as it functions as a center for the release of larvae of Antillean and Caribbean species to the Gulf of Mexico and the keys and continental coasts of North America.

Thirty different types of stony corals (of the 60 described for the country), 50 sponges, and 34 gorgonians have been identified in the area, Gallardo pointed out. He emphasized that, to date, the remains of a dozen important shipwrecks have been identified there, including the Pecio de los Astrolabios, which sank in 1607. Salvaged objects are preserved and displayed at the Castillo de la Fuerza.

Referring to Punta Caribe, he specified that one part is at sea and the other on land, and the integration of various ecosystems fosters the development of a rich biodiversity. “Due to its geographic location, it is within the Mississippi biological corridor for birds. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that it is a feeding and refuge site for birds from Central America,” he explained.

The area includes 2.5 kilometers of the Guamá River basin, dotted with lush vegetation, prominently planted with mangroves, and the mouth of the river is home to a wide variety of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.

KPL