After 32 years of its foundation and being the only patronage of marine diversity in the country, the National Aquarium today he is experiencing one of the most critical conditions of all time.
In a tour carried out by elCaribe to aquatic preservation, the murky fish tanks, poorly lit corridors, opaque, stained, fractioned and rusty acrylics that the center maintains became noticeable.
On the outskirts of the place, the great laughter that invaded the lives of the children and parents was heard, who when approaching the exhibitions expressed their discontent, it’s empty! They said. Transfiguring their faces in the face of disappointment at the decline of the place and the little reflection of the species, turning an entire aquatic, diverse and fun experience into a bitter pill.
A citizen classified as “shame” that the institution does not have dolphins, seals and other relevant species, stating that they only maintain some fish tanks and they are dirty, for which he considered the experience not valuable.
To this was added the comment on social networks of a visitor who indicated: “It is a pity the deterioration of this place, since I was a child it has been one of my favorite places but the abandonment is regrettable, the areas are not optimal”.
Among the main areas of emerging intervention that this patronage, inaugurated in 1990 by Dr. Joaquín Balaguer, needs, are the physical plant of the entity, the ceilings, floors and main exhibition Reefs of the Caribbean tunnel.
According to the person in charge of communication, Néstor Mateo, the National Aquarium has 300 species and 3,800 specimens, which creates an unknown in the citizens due to the little display of them on the shelves. Given this, he pointed out that the exhibits correspond to the number of creatures according to the volume of water.
He also told elCaribe that the carelessness in the infrastructure is due to the lack of a deep intervention in the entity in its 32 years. As well as the lack of equipment, budget and geographical location that affects the physical building.
Budget
The National Aquarium received this 2022 a budget of RD$109,440,625.00, divided into RD$73,000,000.00 of financing by the government and RD$36,440,625.00 per visitor entrance. Said amount is distributed in 56% of salaries and contributions, 14% contracted service, 24% in acquisition of materials and supplies and 6% in acquisition of assets.
“It is necessary to have an investment in infrastructure, acquisition of technological equipment, continuous training, laboratory area, water analysis and microbiology, necropsy area, nutrition, and education,” emphasized Mateo.
According to the representative’s declarations, about RD$160 million would be needed for optimum operation in view of operating expenses. However, for visitors this does not represent a reason for stagnation for the maintenance of the area, due to the implementation of payment at the entrance of the aquatic center, and who have received an amount of 197,800.00 visitors in recent months.
“Obviously, there will be complaints, however, most of our visitors positively receive the service we provide,” said Néstor.
Despite the fact that the entity points out the lack of budget to achieve greater development as a disadvantage, the National Aquarium won gold in the National Award for Quality and Promising Practices to the Public Sector in 2015 and silver in 2018.
However, there is a reality that continues to be reflected in the water board of the nation’s capital, where the deterioration of its areas and failures in maintenance and structure are clearly noticeable by all its visitors.
This despite the fact that in 2020, a management process was initiated where renovation projects were deposited, and two years later the same scourge continues.
