Panama protects mangroves and seagrass through the General Environment Law (Ley 41 of 1998) and Ley 304 of 2022, which covers seagrass and the ecosystems linked to reefs. Many mangrove areas are also protected areas or Ramsar wetlands. For boaters the rules are simple: don't cut mangroves, and don't scar seagrass with props or anchors.
Why it matters and what the law says
Panama has about 184,000 hectares of mangrove on both coasts, roughly 5% of all the mangroves in the Americas. MiAmbiente estimates the country has lost close to half of its original mangroves in the last 50 years. Mangroves and seagrass are nurseries for snapper, shrimp and lobster, feeding grounds for turtles, and the coast's main defence against storm surge.
- Ley 41 of 1998, the General Environment Law, is the base. MiAmbiente handles cutting, filling and damage to mangroves.
- Ley 304 of 2022 protects coral reefs, seagrass beds and their linked ecosystems, including mangroves and coastal wetlands. A 2026 bill to let MiAmbiente authorize work in seagrass was vetoed by the President in June 2026.
- Protected areas cover many mangroves: six Ramsar wetlands, refuges, and local reserves such as the Manglares de David.
- Las Perlas: Ley 18 of 2007 bans cutting mangroves in the archipelago, except for approved tourism projects.
Panama Bay: the Ramsar wetland
East of the city, the Humedal Bahía de Panamá was made a Ramsar wetland in 2003 and a wildlife refuge in 2009. It covers about 85,660 hectares of mangrove, mudflat and estuary from Panamá Viejo towards Chepo. One to two million shorebirds pass through every year. The small Manglares de Panamá Viejo area was added in 2015.
With a 4–6 m Pacific tide, the eastern shore turns into kilometres of mud at low water. Go in only on a rising tide, with local knowledge, and keep speed and wake down near the mangrove edge and the feeding flocks. Don't land in the mangroves. MiAmbiente has announced sanctions against a company for damaging the refuge. The channel, anchorages and tides are in the Bahía de Panamá boating guide and Pacific tides and currents.
Chiriquí and the Gulf of Montijo
The Gulf of Chiriquí coast is a maze of mangrove channels and estuaries from Pedregal and Boca Chica to the Golfo de Montijo near Coiba. The Manglares de David protected zone (2007) covers about 16,700 hectares around the port of Pedregal. The Golfo de Montijo is a Ramsar wetland.
The channels are tidal and many are shallow at low water. Run them on the tide, at no-wake speed near the banks, and expect fishermen's nets and small boats round every bend. Don't anchor in narrow channels where you block them or swing into the trees. Bases and marinas are in Boca Chica and Pedregal marinas, and the region in Chiriquí and Coiba.
Las Perlas and the Pacific islands
Many of the best anchorages in Las Perlas are mangrove-lined bays with sand or mud in front. Here Ley 18 of 2007 goes further than national law. It bans cutting mangroves anywhere in the archipelago, except for tourism projects with an approved environmental impact study. It also bans gillnets and trawls, which protects the seagrass and mangrove nurseries. Come into the bay slowly on a rising tide, anchor in the open sand off the mangrove edge, and take the dinghy to a beach, not into the roots. The anchorages are in Las Perlas anchorages.
Bocas del Toro: seagrass and mangrove islands
Bocas del Toro is made of mangrove islands, and most of its lagoon floor is seagrass, sand and patch reef. It has the Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, the San San Pond Sak Ramsar wetland (a national park since 2025) and the large Laguna de Chiriquí. The calm water draws plenty of boats, and you can see prop scars in the seagrass from the air.
- Read the water. Brown is reef or grass close to the surface, light green is shallow sand, blue is deep. Trim up and slow down over grass.
- If you touch bottom, stop, tilt the engine and pole or walk the boat off. Powering off digs a trench that can take years to heal.
- Anchor in sand, not in the grass or among the mangrove roots.
See the Bocas del Toro region guide and reef protection for the reef side.
Good practice in any mangrove or seagrass area
- Never cut mangrove branches to clear a mooring, a dinghy landing or a view. Tie to an existing post or use your anchor in the open.
- No discharges. Keep sewage, grey water, bilge water and cleaning products out of enclosed lagoons and mangrove creeks; use your holding tank. See trash, grey water and cleaning products.
- Keep the wake down along the banks. Wakes wash out young mangroves and stir up the silt that smothers seagrass.
- Report damage. Report mangrove cutting, filling or dumping to MiAmbiente on its free line, 311.
Your practical starting checklist
- Check the tide table before entering any mangrove channel or Panama Bay mudflat.
- Trim up and run at no-wake speed over seagrass and near mangrove banks.
- Anchor in sand, never in seagrass or among mangrove roots.
- Stop and pole off if you touch bottom; don't power across the grass.
- Keep all discharges out of lagoons and creeks, and never cut a mangrove branch.
- Report mangrove cutting or dumping to MiAmbiente on 311.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to cut mangroves in Panama?
Cutting or damaging mangroves without MiAmbiente's approval breaks environmental law. In Las Perlas, Ley 18 of 2007 bans it outright except for approved tourism projects. Many mangroves are also inside protected areas.
Can I anchor in seagrass in Panama?
Avoid it. Ley 304 of 2022 protects seagrass beds, and anchors and chain tear them up. Drop the anchor in clear sand instead.
Can I take a boat into the Panama Bay wetland?
Yes, carefully. It's a MiAmbiente wildlife refuge and Ramsar site. Go on a rising tide at low speed, keep away from bird flocks, and don't land in the mangroves.
¿Qué protege la Ley 304 de 2022?
Los arrecifes coralinos, los pastos marinos y los ecosistemas asociados, como los manglares. Prohíbe fondear sobre coral y extraer corales y peces de arrecife. El veto de junio de 2026 dejó la ley sin cambios.
En español: manglares, pastos marinos y navegación en Panamá
Panamá tiene cerca de 184,000 hectáreas de manglar. La Ley 41 de 1998, General de Ambiente, y la Ley 304 de 2022 protegen los manglares, los pastos marinos y los arrecifes. El Humedal Bahía de Panamá es sitio Ramsar y refugio de vida silvestre. En los manglares, navegue despacio y sin oleaje, planifique con la marea y no corte ramas. No fondee sobre pastos marinos. Denuncie la tala de manglar al 311 del Ministerio de Ambiente.
The next question to answer
Parks, refuges and Ramsar sites on both coasts. Read Panama's protected marine areas.
Anchoring on sand and the coral rules. Read Reef protection in San Blas and Portobelo.
The wildlife that feeds on seagrass and in the mangroves. Read Turtles, dolphins and rays.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Protecting Seagrass and Coral.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- MiAmbiente: six Ramsar mangrove sites, Ley 41 of 1998, mangrove cover, July 2025 ↗
- TVN: Panama seeks to recover mangroves after losing nearly 50% (Ley 304 cited), July 2026 (secondary, press) ↗
- MiAmbiente via INEC: protected areas by year and category (Bahía de Panamá, Manglares de David) ↗
- Ley 18 of 2007, Las Perlas: mangrove cutting ban (Justia copy) ↗
- La Estrella de Panamá: Executive vetoes Ley 304 amendment on seagrass, July 2026 (secondary, press) ↗
- TVN: MiAmbiente to sanction company for damaging the Bahía de Panamá protected area (secondary, press) ↗