The main purposes of the National Sanctuaries are the protection of the local habitat the flora and fauna as well as the natural formations that could have some scientific and scenic concern.

The are six National sanctuaries in Peru which have a surface of 48 113 10 hectares, what means 00,037% of the national territory.

THE NATIONAL SANCTUARY OF AMPAY

This sanctuary established on february 24, 1984, through Law (D.S.) N 015-84-AG, it is located in the department of Arequipa, province of Islay with a surface of 690,6 hectares.

This is a refuge for migratory birds on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This area provides food for birds like the playero (Calidris alba) Coming from the North Hemisphere.

It the shores of the lakes we can find frogs (Bufo limensis), lizards (Microlophus tigris) and values (Pseudolapex sechurae) in the hills surrounding the lakes and finally just a few fishes as: the lisa (Mugil Cephalus) and pejerrey (Basilichthys sp.).

In the beach there are 180 types of birds as residents as migratories. We can observe the gaviota gris (Larus modestus), the playero blanco (Calidris alba), the rayador (Rinchops niger), the peruvian seagull (Larus belcheri), the dominion seagull (Larus dominicanus) and the gaviota capucho gris (Larus cirrocephillus), the zambullidor pimpollo (Rollandia rolland), the zambullidor grande (Podiceps major), the pato sutro (Anas flavirostris) the pato garantillo (Anas bahamensis), the pato colorado (Anas cyanopltero), the polla de agua (Gallinula chloropus), the choca (Fulico americana), the gallineta comun (Rallus limicola), the garza - heroncuca (Ardea cocoi) the big white heron (Egretta alba), the small white heron (Egretta thula) and the blue heron (Hydronassa caerulea).

The parihuanas (Phoenicopterus chilensis) prefers to live in areas with sparse vegetation. Among the purposes of this sanctuary are to protect the wild fauna which is in danger of extinction, to keep the flora of the area from extinction and to promote tourism.