Panama Bay Wetlands remain protected Supreme Court

ENVIRONMENTALISTS have received a welcome Christmas present from the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court after a year of legal analysis with the decision to maintain wetland protection for Panama Bay.

The court rejected an application for annulment of the decision of the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) granting protection to the area. The lawsuit studied by the Third Chamber was to outlaw Resolution No. AG- 0072 of February 3, 2009 issued by the Anam arguing that it violated the Act No. 6 January 2002 , which provided for the completion of a public consultation prior to the declaration of a protected area.

According to the Court’s ruling, the Anam can issue, without public consultation, resolutions that demarcate protected area.
For the judges this power is contained in Articles 118 and 120 of the Constitution, Act No. 2 of January 12, 1995, and Articles 74 and 95 of Law No. 41 of July 1998. T
he decision states that the Panama Bay Wetland is a Ramsar site recognized as International and also of public interest.