Venezuela ranks among the top ten countries with the greatest biodiversity on the planet and the sixth in Latin America, holding at least 20,062 recognized species among flora and fauna, said the Minister for Eco-socialism and Water, Ramón Velásquez Araguayán, on Wednesday.
According to data collected in the first report submitted by the Venezuelan State to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the country has 351 mammals, 1,370 birds, 341 reptiles and about 650 types of vegetation, which house some 15,000 species of higher plants distributed mainly among forests, shrubs, grasslands and mangroves, among others.
Velásquez, during his participation in the “Vía Alterna” (Alternate Way) program, broadcast by the RNV Informative channel, highlighted the economic potential of the country in this matter, highlighting that out of the 20,062 recognized species, 77% correspond to the flora, which serve as a basis for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry.
In this regard, he reported that on Tuesday, started the biological diversity workshop in the capital of Aragua state, a space where the legal framework for the use of these natural resources in a sustainable manner will be discussed, with the participation of representatives of popular power, sector university, private and the National Government.
He also stressed that Operation Electric Storm was recently held in the country, which takes place every year at the international level, and in the Venezuelan case it served as a framework for addressing the national plan against illicit trafficking in flora and fauna.
During this event 178 activities were carried out in different areas of the country to raise awareness in the population, in addition to achieving the seizure, in two days of inspection, of 1,041 individuals of different species, among these 49% birds and 32% reptiles, which were intended to be removed from Venezuelan territory for their commercialization.
