The number of ships allowed to pass through the drought-hit Panama Canal each day will be increased thanks to signs of rising water levels, authorities said Monday.
The interoceanic channel is a key transit point for international cargo, but low water levels blamed on climate change and the El Nino phenomenon last year led officials to limit the number of ships using it.
The Panama Canal Authority said it had told clients it would gradually allow up to 32 ships through each day, compared with a limit of 27 announced a month ago.
In 2022, an average of 39 ships are received every day.
“Water management and administration has been very efficient,” canal administrator Ricaurte Vasquez told AFP.
The arrival of the rainy season is also expected to help, he added.
Also read: Panama plans to build a dry canal due to drought
Restrictions on the maximum draft (water depth) of ships passing through the largest locks will be increased in mid-June to 13.71 meters (45 feet), from the previous 13.41, the authority said.
The century-old maritime channel, which normally handles about six percent of global maritime trade, uses rainwater stored in two artificial lakes.
The canal – used mainly by customers from the United States, China and Japan – has a lock system for lifting and lowering ships.
For every ship that passes through the canal, 200 million liters of fresh water are released into the sea. (AFP/Z-3)
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