EDITORIAL STATUS: held draft awaiting clarification. Do not publish as operational guidance or describe the exception as a reopening for tourism.

Resolution DM-0551-2026 of October 15, 2026, published that day in Official Gazette 30635 C, extends the closure of Escudo de Veraguas through December 31 in Article 1. The instrument includes a lobster fishing exception, but conflicting wording prevents an unambiguous statement of its duration and catch limit.

Article 4 refers to thirty (30) calendar days while also specifying the period from October 15 to November 15. Article 7 literally states “diez (12) ejemplares por persona y día”, meaning the word “ten” is followed by the numeral “12” for specimens per person per day. Editors should not choose between these expressions, correct the number or infer a quota.

The fishing exception must not be confused with a general reopening of the area to visitors or tourism activities. The closure and exception must be treated separately. The editorial image should not be used as evidence that any particular visit or activity is authorized.

A targeted review of the Official Gazette and MiAmbiente on October 16 did not locate a primary clarification resolving these discrepancies. That finding does not prove that no clarification exists. Before this draft becomes a publishable article, an official clarification of the period and quantity must be verified, alongside the other applicable conditions.

Working source: Official Gazette 30635 C, pages 7 and 8. This draft is retained for editorial review without proposing a correction or claiming that the exception authorizes tourism.

Notes on the official text

1. Article 4 states “treinta (30) días calendario” (thirty calendar days), but specifies October 15 to November 15. Those dates do not correspond to a thirty-day interval. This note does not select a legally applicable duration.

2. Article 7 states “diez (12) ejemplares” of lobster per person per day. The Spanish word indicates 10 and the numeral indicates 12. This note does not select or correct the applicable catch limit.

Official source: Resolution DM-0551-2026, Official Gazette 30635 C, pages 7–8.