Complejo eco ambiental para la pesca- Cartagena

Abstract

“La Ciénaga de La Virgen is a coastal lagoon located on the north side of the City of Cartagena and separated from the sea by the sand cord (sand bar 400 - 800m wide) of La Boquilla. Its shape is triangular, narrow in the north and wide in the south, with a maximum width of 4.5 km, and has a length of about 7 km, a body of water of about 22.5 km2 and depths of up to 1.2 m”.

There are several problems around the health and stability of the swamp, one of which is of greatest concern to Cartagena is the illegal dumping of wastewater into this aquifer, the dumping of this type of water into the swamp brings more damage to the health of the inhabitants of these sectors near the swamp, generating different epidemiological outbreaks due to stagnation and poor conditions of the water source.

But this was not always the case, a few decades ago the swamp of the virgin provided fish and seafood to the Bazurto market and other markets in the department of Bolívar, say the fishermen in the area who managed to remove up to 50 kilos of shrimp 20 years ago. a single fishing task which allowed them to have a secure income to keep their families in good living conditions, they say that the quality of the water and the biological stability of the swamp allowed marine species such as the sierra and horse mackerel to be fished within the body of water without the need to go out into the open sea, which implied for them more labor costs and risks, to the already mentioned problems, the construction of different engineering works that affect the delicate stability of the swamp, since the progress of the mangrove bridge has greatly increased the presence of sediments that prevent the correct oxygenation of water by the bo keel which is the place where the sea water enters the swamp and oxygenates it, “This is a consequence of the works since the piles are too thick and take up a lot of space, which has made the swamp water not run with freedom towards the sea, causing the sediment to accumulate and generate these problems ”, explained Benjamín Luna, civic leader of La Boquilla.