The Ministry for Ecosocialism, under the coordination of the Territorial Ecosocialist Unit in Anzoátegui (Utec), activated a deployment to remove the sediments that were obstructing the outlet to the sea of the Píritu Lagoon, a situation that threatened the fragile balance of this important ecosystem.
The clearing was done at the request of the fishing community of the municipality of Peñalver, in an assembly in which the mayor Jannette Calista and the state director of the environmental office, Yamil Saleh, participated.
With the reopening of the navigation channel, artisanal fishing boats can now go out to sea again.
The sailors pointed out that the silted-up sand prevented the free passage of boats and also the constant exchange of fresh and salt water that maintains the balance of the coastal wetland.
Furthermore, they reported that the obstruction worsened due to an unauthorized intervention carried out years ago on a breakwater to the east of the lagoon. The currents accumulated sand until it blocked the passage, leaving the body of water in a critical state.
Saleh explained that initially a jumbo-type machine was used to remove the sand and excavate a 61-meter-long channel.
He explained that the effects of the El Niño phenomenon and the alteration it has caused in the rainfall patterns typical of the rainy season in Venezuela are also being evaluated in addressing the case, which, in his opinion, has caused a decrease in the volumes of water carried by the Unare River.
"The Píritu lagoon is part of the Unare-Píritu Lagoon System (the deltaic zone of the Unare River); it is a habitat rich in species of fish, crustaceans and native and migratory birds that is important to conserve as a natural space, a means of livelihood for the population and an important scenic beauty for tourism," he said.
He also announced inspections of the canals associated with the Unare River, which may be clogged and will therefore also require sediment removal and controlled mangrove pruning.
