The National Border Service of Panama (SENAFRONT), the Public Ministry, and the Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE) dismantled an illegal mining network in the Mangle River, in Alto Tuira, within Darién National Park, near the border between Panama and Colombia.

The Coiba Island M2 Radar, developed by GC/ProtectedSeas, continues to detect illegal fishing activities within the protected waters of Coiba.

Last week, Global Conservation conducted a mission to Darien National Park to assess the progress made over the past two years and to plan for enhanced protection of forests and wildlife in 2025-26.

With Global Park Defense, the park authority and ranger teams will have increased capacity and improved effectiveness to greatly improve park and wildlife protection, law enforcement, and biodiversity monitoring. Our goal is to achieve "No Cut, No Kill" protection for the national park within 5-6 years.

Darien National Park is the largest protected area in Central America and the Caribbean. This biosphere reserve is considered the most important natural lung in the world after the Amazon rainforest. These forests provide habitat for the endangered brown-headed spider monkey, the endangered Baird’s tapir, harpy eagles, and many more.

Isolated communities are sounding the alarm over poisoned rivers and cultural erosion after a surge in migrants crossing their ancestral lands.

This month, the Global Conservation Central America team kicked off a new GC Project with the Naso People of Panama to protect La Amistad International Park.