From the Science Blogs
Leatherback turtles: going where few air-breathers dare
Playa Grande neighbors go to court for damage to leatherback turtles
On July 1, an appeal for protection was filed before the Constitutional Court by the Playa Grande Neighbors Association, arguing serious damage is being caused to the leatherback turtles that come to nest on the Guanacaste beaches of Playa Grande and Playa Ventanas.
Julio Saenz, a member of the community group, said he was going “to present proof that scientific research led by the organization The Leatherback Trust (President Jim Spotila), has made it so that these endangered turtles are not coming back to nest on these beaches, which are part of the Las Baulas Marine National Park.”
The experiment being questioned was conducted for scientific reasons. However, the Playa Grande Neighbors Association has indicated that none of the turtles fitted with the radio transmitters returned to their nesting site. That’s the main reason for the appeal for protection (recurso de amparo) that they filed with the Constitutional Court, and which is now being reviewed by its magistrates.
Of the 27 turtles that were outfitted with the devices in the 2003-2004 season, none returned to their nesting site, despite the fact that leatherbacks return to their nests, on average, 3.7 years after the time they migrated.
This information was presented in the reports issued by researchers with The Leatherback Trust, and which the Playa Grande neighbors have copies of. Meanwhile, 40 other turtles that were not given a transmitter, also on the 2003-2004 season, did return to their nests the following season.
In this sense, the appeal for protection accuses The Leatherback Trust of violating a series of international agreements ratified by Costa Rica for the protection of flora and fauna, according to article 7 of the country’s Constitution. The complainants are asking the Constitutional Court to ban experiments done with the turtles, as they could generate “an irreversible effect against the environment, according to the appeal presented against SINAC, the Tempisque Conservation Area, and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE).
Bryan Wallace, In response to Pedro Vargas:
First, our project has a 20 year history of research efforts that have contributed to conservation of leatherbacks in Costa Rica, including the formation of the National Park, and the ELIMINATION of egg poaching, which was one of the main drivers in the population decline of these animals. Thus, our reputation for important, reliable scientific research and consistent, dedicated conservation efforts speaks for itself -in Costa Rica and around the world.
Second, as conservation scientists working with endangered species, we have a responsibility to maximize the conservation applications of our research while minimizing the impacts of that research on our study animals. The very nature of field research is such that it is impossible NOT to have some impact -however small- on one's study subjects. Despite this unavoidable fact, we used the most widely accepted, proven technique available to us at the time of the study to attach transmitters to leatherbacks (the harness) to study their movements and the environmental influences of those movements throughout the Pacific Ocean. No tracking study had ever been conducted on this population on the scale of this one, and no tracking study had ever obtained so much crucial information to be used for conservation of leatherbacks in Costa Rican waters, and international waters as well.
Third, speaking of conservation importance, through high-level analyses of these high-quality data, we were able to outline clear, pertinent recommendations for conservation of leatherbacks in their marine habitats. In addition to egg poaching, incidental capture of leatherbacks in fishing gear also has been implicated as a major driver of this population's decline. Thus, mitigating the interactions between leatherbacks and fishing gear is now the most important conservation issue facing us and the leatherbacks we are trying to save from extinction. The information we obtained in this study has allowed us, for the first time, to describe in great detail where leatherbacks go, why they go there, when they go there, and what can be done to keep them out of fishing gear.
Fourth, as a technical point, contrary to the claim in his post, there are currently no data clearly demonstrating adverse impacts of the harnesses on leatherbacks. The only studies that have explored this possibility have arrived at tentative, suggestive conclusions that harnesses might result in slightly slower travel rates or might be related to earlier start of migration. What is needed is a rigorous test of various techniques to figure out what the impacts actually might be.
Fifth, we have identified almost 2000 individual leatherbacks over the past 15 years of monitoring, but have seen fewer than 500 return to the beach after being counted for the first time. Thus, we have an unfortunately, but consistently, low rate of return of our turtles (about 25%). In fact, during the years that we put harnesses on turtles, we counted 417 individual turtles, of which only 18% have returned so far. The turtles that we put harnesses on (46 total) are in the proportion that haven't returned yet, but still might. Leatherbacks take between 2 and 7 years to return to the beach to nest, and in some cases, we've recorded turtles returning after intervals of more than 10 years! Everyone can rest assured that when these turtles come back, our patient field biologists will be waiting to count them.
The take-home message is this: we care about saving these turtles more than almost anyone, and we always try to do the best job we can to find out what we need to know to save them, and to take the actions necessary to save them. We hope that others will join us in saving the leatherbacks in the Eastern Pacific!
Thanks for reading,
bw
Posted by: Bryan Wallace | August 8, 2008 2:45 PM
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Threat of Tuna Farms in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, IS BACK
Threat of Tuna Farms in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, IS BACK
(November 11, 2008 - San José, Costa Rica)
Last November 5, the Technical Secretariat of the Environment of Costa Rica (Setena) issued a resolution calling for the operation of Tuna Farms of Golfito to continue with its execution. The project, which consists of the installation of 10 cages that will fatten up to 120 tons of tuna per cycle, was suspended by order of the Constitutional Court on May 9 of 2007, due to the serious inconsistencies found regarding the threat of polluting the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce, and the impact on sea turtles. Setena had declared that the project was environmentally viable since August 19, 2005.
In order to elucidate the inconsistencies that the Constitutional Court pointed out, Setena requested the technical criteria of the Center for Marine and Limnological Research of the University of Costa Rica (Cimar). In the report, submitted last September 30, Cimar underlines that to predict the possible destiny of wastes and served waters with more certainty, a much more comprehensive study regarding ocean currents is needed than the one that was submitted in the Environmental Impact Study. Furthermore, it points out the need for a Plan of Action to deal with the sea turtles and whales that use these waters.
According to the Costa Rican NGO Pretoma, which filed the Constitutional Law Suit to stop the installation of Tuna Farms together with the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, Setena granted the environmental viability without having elucidated the inconsistency described by the Constitutional Court regarding the ecological impact that the Tuna Farms may have on the Golfo Dulce. To make matters worst, Setena doesn't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest in the area, in spite of the fact that for the last 11 years Pretoma has been doing sea turtle conservation projects in the community of Punta Banco, an olive ridley sea turtle nesting site located directly in front the area that the proposed Tuna Farms will occupy.
"The Constitutional Court had already expressed that Setena was in the obligation of ordering the performance of studies to previously guarantee, and with an acceptable degree of certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced would not affect the environment nor the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce", informed Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma, "The requested studies still haven't been performed, nor have the contaminant issue been elucidated, because of which the recommendation to continue with the execution of the Tuna Farms is contrary to the order of the Constitutional Court", explained Arauz.
According to Miguel Gómez, Pretoma's Campaigns Coordinator, sea turtles are under serious threat, as the structures with the cages would attract the sea turtles that visit the beaches of Punta Banco, Estrechura, and Río Coco to nest, and would interrupt the hatchlings on their way to the open sea. "We still don't see a serious plan to mitigate the impact of the Tuna Farms on sea turtles, but if Setena won't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest on these beaches, what can we expect?," said a disappointed Gómez.
On November 11 of 2008, Pretoma filed suit to revoke Setena's resolution, as well as an appeal to the Ministry of Environment.
For more information:
PRETOMA
Tel (506) 2241 5227
Fax (506) 2236 6017
Email: info@pretoma.org
Website: www.pretoma.org
PRETOMA is a Costa Rican Civil Association of Public Interest (Decreto Ejecutivo 34150-J), and is an active member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN and the World Society for the Protection of Animals WSPA.
For an interesting read on "How to Grow a Giant Tuna?"
(November 11, 2008 - San José, Costa Rica)
Last November 5, the Technical Secretariat of the Environment of Costa Rica (Setena) issued a resolution calling for the operation of Tuna Farms of Golfito to continue with its execution. The project, which consists of the installation of 10 cages that will fatten up to 120 tons of tuna per cycle, was suspended by order of the Constitutional Court on May 9 of 2007, due to the serious inconsistencies found regarding the threat of polluting the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce, and the impact on sea turtles. Setena had declared that the project was environmentally viable since August 19, 2005.
In order to elucidate the inconsistencies that the Constitutional Court pointed out, Setena requested the technical criteria of the Center for Marine and Limnological Research of the University of Costa Rica (Cimar). In the report, submitted last September 30, Cimar underlines that to predict the possible destiny of wastes and served waters with more certainty, a much more comprehensive study regarding ocean currents is needed than the one that was submitted in the Environmental Impact Study. Furthermore, it points out the need for a Plan of Action to deal with the sea turtles and whales that use these waters.
According to the Costa Rican NGO Pretoma, which filed the Constitutional Law Suit to stop the installation of Tuna Farms together with the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, Setena granted the environmental viability without having elucidated the inconsistency described by the Constitutional Court regarding the ecological impact that the Tuna Farms may have on the Golfo Dulce. To make matters worst, Setena doesn't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest in the area, in spite of the fact that for the last 11 years Pretoma has been doing sea turtle conservation projects in the community of Punta Banco, an olive ridley sea turtle nesting site located directly in front the area that the proposed Tuna Farms will occupy.
"The Constitutional Court had already expressed that Setena was in the obligation of ordering the performance of studies to previously guarantee, and with an acceptable degree of certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced would not affect the environment nor the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce", informed Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma, "The requested studies still haven't been performed, nor have the contaminant issue been elucidated, because of which the recommendation to continue with the execution of the Tuna Farms is contrary to the order of the Constitutional Court", explained Arauz.
According to Miguel Gómez, Pretoma's Campaigns Coordinator, sea turtles are under serious threat, as the structures with the cages would attract the sea turtles that visit the beaches of Punta Banco, Estrechura, and Río Coco to nest, and would interrupt the hatchlings on their way to the open sea. "We still don't see a serious plan to mitigate the impact of the Tuna Farms on sea turtles, but if Setena won't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest on these beaches, what can we expect?," said a disappointed Gómez.
On November 11 of 2008, Pretoma filed suit to revoke Setena's resolution, as well as an appeal to the Ministry of Environment.
For more information:
PRETOMA
Tel (506) 2241 5227
Fax (506) 2236 6017
Email: info@pretoma.org
Website: www.pretoma.org
PRETOMA is a Costa Rican Civil Association of Public Interest (Decreto Ejecutivo 34150-J), and is an active member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN and the World Society for the Protection of Animals WSPA.
For an interesting read on "How to Grow a Giant Tuna?"
Court Suspends Execution of Tuna Farms in Costa Rica
Court Suspends Execution of Tuna Farms in Costa Rica
(San José, Costa Rica – May 15, 2007)
Last May 9th, the Constitutional Court ordered the suspension of execution of the project to install tuna farms (Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A.) in Costa Rica's South Pacific region, until the Technical Secretariat of the Environment (SETENA, a branch of the Ministry of Environment in charge of approving EIAs) can previously guarantee, and with reasonable certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced by the fattening of tunas will not contaminate the environment, particularly the Golfo Dulce (voto 06315-07). SETENA must perform the technical studies to determine the direction and movement of the currents and the effect of the metabolic wastes on the Golfo Dulce, due to the contradictions in the technical information provided by the company itself. The main doubt is, do the currents have a dispersing effect over the metabolic wastes because they are swift and they move away from the Golfo Dulce, as claimed by officers of the company under oath, or are the currents slow and do they move towards the Golfo Dulce, dragging the metabolic wastes with them, as affirmed by the company's Environmental Impact Assessment?
“We are satisfied, especially with the application of the precautionary principle”, expressed Peter Aspinal, of the Tiskita Foundation. “Just as we have been warning, the risk posed by the massive generation of metabolic wastes and other contaminants, product of the industrial fattening of tunas, is too high to be taken lightly, and the contradictions show that that is precisely what the authorities did when they approved this project”, explained Aspinal.
The order is the result of the Constitutional Lawsuit (06-008255-0007-CO) filed by PRETOMA and the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, against the Director of the Department of Waters of the Ministry of Environment MINAE, the Executive President of INCOPESCA and the SETENA, for approving the project without a previous popular consultation and without considering the precautionary principle. An amalgam of organizations of the civil society joined in opposition to the project, including Foundation Vida Marina, Tiskita Foundation, the Association of Guaymi Indigenous Representatives, the Association of Fishermen of Pavones, the Association of Fishermen of Zancudo, the Municipality of Golfito, and numerous neighbors of Pavones, Puerto Jiménez and Golfito. The area's economy is based on low impact ecotourism, and there is a generalized concern that the operation of the tuna farms would not only threaten its scenic beauty, but its ecological integrity as well.
According to Denise Echeverría, of the Foundation Vida Marina, the decision of the Court sets an extremely important precedent in light of the accelerated development currently occurring in Costa Rica's South Pacific region. “There are other coastal development threats that could have equally devastating effects, or worse”, warned Echeverría. “Due to the Golfo Dulce's condition as tropical fjord, its delicate ecosystem and the marine biodiversity it hosts are extremely susceptible to environmental alterations produced by coastal infrastructure, such as tuna farms, piers, wave breakers, marinas, hotels and condominiums, because of which they must be carefully controlled under a precautionary regime”.
Other that the impact on the coastal environment, the sea turtles and the cetaceans, concerns exist stemming from the impact of the tuna farms on wild populations of yellow fin tuna, currently depleted by over fishing. “¿How is it that tuna farms are a solution to over fishing, if the proposal is to catch wild individuals to fatten them?”, asked Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. “To restore the valuable populations of yellow fin tuna in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the State should promote the reduction of fishing effort by international flag tuna vessels, and promote a national sustainable tuna fishery”, stressed Arauz.
Another Constitutional Lawsuit is still pending, filed by Vida Marina Foundation and the lawyer Alvaro Sagot, against Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.a. and SETENA, for failure to provide a transparent process during the process of community participatory consultation.
(San José, Costa Rica – May 15, 2007)
Last May 9th, the Constitutional Court ordered the suspension of execution of the project to install tuna farms (Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A.) in Costa Rica's South Pacific region, until the Technical Secretariat of the Environment (SETENA, a branch of the Ministry of Environment in charge of approving EIAs) can previously guarantee, and with reasonable certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced by the fattening of tunas will not contaminate the environment, particularly the Golfo Dulce (voto 06315-07). SETENA must perform the technical studies to determine the direction and movement of the currents and the effect of the metabolic wastes on the Golfo Dulce, due to the contradictions in the technical information provided by the company itself. The main doubt is, do the currents have a dispersing effect over the metabolic wastes because they are swift and they move away from the Golfo Dulce, as claimed by officers of the company under oath, or are the currents slow and do they move towards the Golfo Dulce, dragging the metabolic wastes with them, as affirmed by the company's Environmental Impact Assessment?
“We are satisfied, especially with the application of the precautionary principle”, expressed Peter Aspinal, of the Tiskita Foundation. “Just as we have been warning, the risk posed by the massive generation of metabolic wastes and other contaminants, product of the industrial fattening of tunas, is too high to be taken lightly, and the contradictions show that that is precisely what the authorities did when they approved this project”, explained Aspinal.
The order is the result of the Constitutional Lawsuit (06-008255-0007-CO) filed by PRETOMA and the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, against the Director of the Department of Waters of the Ministry of Environment MINAE, the Executive President of INCOPESCA and the SETENA, for approving the project without a previous popular consultation and without considering the precautionary principle. An amalgam of organizations of the civil society joined in opposition to the project, including Foundation Vida Marina, Tiskita Foundation, the Association of Guaymi Indigenous Representatives, the Association of Fishermen of Pavones, the Association of Fishermen of Zancudo, the Municipality of Golfito, and numerous neighbors of Pavones, Puerto Jiménez and Golfito. The area's economy is based on low impact ecotourism, and there is a generalized concern that the operation of the tuna farms would not only threaten its scenic beauty, but its ecological integrity as well.
According to Denise Echeverría, of the Foundation Vida Marina, the decision of the Court sets an extremely important precedent in light of the accelerated development currently occurring in Costa Rica's South Pacific region. “There are other coastal development threats that could have equally devastating effects, or worse”, warned Echeverría. “Due to the Golfo Dulce's condition as tropical fjord, its delicate ecosystem and the marine biodiversity it hosts are extremely susceptible to environmental alterations produced by coastal infrastructure, such as tuna farms, piers, wave breakers, marinas, hotels and condominiums, because of which they must be carefully controlled under a precautionary regime”.
Other that the impact on the coastal environment, the sea turtles and the cetaceans, concerns exist stemming from the impact of the tuna farms on wild populations of yellow fin tuna, currently depleted by over fishing. “¿How is it that tuna farms are a solution to over fishing, if the proposal is to catch wild individuals to fatten them?”, asked Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. “To restore the valuable populations of yellow fin tuna in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the State should promote the reduction of fishing effort by international flag tuna vessels, and promote a national sustainable tuna fishery”, stressed Arauz.
Another Constitutional Lawsuit is still pending, filed by Vida Marina Foundation and the lawyer Alvaro Sagot, against Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.a. and SETENA, for failure to provide a transparent process during the process of community participatory consultation.
CR Surf News
Yellow fin Tuna Project Threatens Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
The Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica is one of three tropical fjords in the Pacific Ocean . This unique aquatic habitat is home to a great diversity of marine life including dolphins, sea turtles, tropical
fish including marlin, parrotfish, dorado, red snapper, over 87 species of stomatopods and decapods, and is an important place for humpback whales and whale sharks to both breed and give birth. The
beaches surrounding the Golfo Dulce also serve as a nesting ground for hawksbill, Olive Ridley and leatherback ocean turtles.
The topography of the Golfo Dulce is such that the mouth of the gulf has a depth of 50 m, while the interior region of the gulf reaches depth of over 200 m. These inner regions of great depth are highly saline and anoxic. Anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria, whose metabolism produces highly toxic by-products, thrive in these regions, while nitrates also become concentrated at these depths. It is therefore crucial that currents from the open ocean dilute these toxic compounds such that the gulf does not become uninhabitable.
The abundance of wildlife in the Golfo Dulce is thought to be attributed to its unique topography, which makes it a sanctuary for marine life. The shallow mouth of the gulf is subject to open ocean
currents and circulate more rapidly than the inner regions of greater depth, the latter having an estuary-like pattern of water circulation. This inner region of estuary-like water circulation and great depth provides an ideal breeding ground for both mollusks and large animals such as the humpback whale as they are protected from the dangers of the open ocean.
The mouth of the Golfo Dulce is therefore crucial both for the circulation of the purifying currents entering the gulf and for the passage of marine life that uses the gulf at various times throughout
the year. The company Granjas Atuneras S.A. has proposed to the Costa Rica government to place over 100 cages to farm yellow fin tuna in the mouth of the Golfo Dulce. These cages are circular and 50 m in diameter with a depth of 22 m, and will be placed in the coastal current entering the gulf. These cages will therefore interfere with the current that cleanses the Golfo Dulce, while becoming a lethal barrier to the wildlife entering the gulf and the turtles that use the adjacent beaches as their nesting grounds.
A no-fishing zone will be placed around the cages, prohibiting local fisherman from being able to fish in their most fruitful waters. The proposed project will be directly off the coast of the Guaymi Indian Reservation. There as been no consultation with the Guaymies regarding the project and the impact it will have on their way of life and their ability to fish their waters.
Marine life in the area will be attracted to the cages as there is a concentrated source of food in the form of the uneaten sardines used to feed the tuna. Fish, turtles, whales, sharks and dolphins
constantly get caught in the cages to which they are attracted. This will also have a large adverse affect on local fish populations as they will be concentrated in a no-fishing zone before being
accidentally killed.
The proposed project also includes importing the large volumes of sardines needed to feed the tuna from Peru . This creates a tremendous risk of introducing novel diseases to the area. Caged fish are under a great deal of stress and immune compromised. Together, these two factors create a prefect setting for an epidemic which could compromise the entire marine ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce. If their plans change to take fish from the local area to feed the tuna, the food chain will be disrupted locally and again the Golfo Dulce will be compromised.
The Environmental Impact Study submitted by Granjas Atuneras S.A. (which was approved by a corrupt series of government officials) failed to properly assess the project in many aspects. The Golfo Dulce is a very dynamic ecosystem with tremendous seasonal fluctuations. There is no data on the changes that occur with the currents in the region throughout the year, and this will directly affect the dispersal and removal of wastes from the tuna farm. It as well makes no provisions for any sort of environmental monitoring of the farm, nor any remedial actions for the negative impacts it will have on local fishing or otherwise.
Over 1000 local fishermen rely on the gulf for their livelihood. The Corcovado National Park , which has been described by National geographic as the most biologically intense place on earth has a large area of sensitive mangrove along the coast of the Golfo Dulce. As well, thousands of tourists enjoy this region annually through visits to the various ecolodges. The world-famous surf destination of Pavones is also downstream of the ocean current where the tuna cages will be placed, such that this largely popular area could become laden with the waste from this farm. All these industries, which are acting in a sustainable fashion, will be adversely affected by these proposed large-scale tuna operations. This is only the second yellow fin tuna farming project to have been proposed (the first of which failed in Panama ), and there is no scientific data having studied the environmental impact or success of such an operation.
This tuna is not destined for domestic consumption, rather is to be transported to Japan and the United States for sushi. There will be no added social benefits to the area as a minimum people will be employed to operate the tuna farm.
Local community organizations are working on this issue, the municipality of Golfito , the municipality of Puerto Jimenez, the Chamber of Tourism of Golfito and many small NGO´s are trying to raise awareness. Unfortunately, many of these places do not even have a phone and our efforts to co-ordinate have been very difficult. We are trying to raise awareness internationally to pressure the government based on their green image for tourism to be true to their word. There are currently no international organizations working to help us with public awareness.
So far a law suit we presented has managed to halt the project for the time being, while the courts review the facts of the proposal. It is during this time that we believe pressure should be applied to the
appeals court with a letter writing campaign from the international community expressing concerns over this proposal. This project has already been approved by the Costa Rican government without any public consultation as is required by law. Despite this deplorable display of corruption and lack of consideration for environmental sustainability, for which Costa Rica prides itself, this tuna project has been temporarily halted as it is being re-evaluated by an appeals court.
nput from the international community will be extremely valuable during this appeals court process. The court is evaluating information it receives, and letters expressing your opinion can influence this
process. As a member of the international community, tourism is the industry that is most affected by your opinion. For this reason, we request that you write a letter to both the President Oscar Arias and the Costa Rican tourism board ICT. The addresses are written below.
Please emphasize your concerns for the environment and the impact this will have on your potential to support Costa Rica by choosing it as a travel destination.
Here you can find helpful pointers on how to write an effective letter: http://globalresponse.org/letterwritingtips.php
Please visit PRETOMA (http://www.tortugamarina.org/) for updates on
this fight.
If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate
to contact me. We sincerely appreciate your help by voicing your opinion.
Addresses for letters:
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)
San José
Costa Rica
Fax (506) 220-3555
His Excellency
Oscar Arias Sanchez
The President of Costa Rica
Casa Presidencial
San Jose, Costa Rica
--
Thx. Have a nice day !
--
Yves Van den Meerssche
ASTV eBay Shop / ASTV Media
+27(0)72 289 58 07
actionsport@gmail.com
www.actionsport.tv
From A.M. Costa Rica's Newsite - http://www.amcostarica.com/wednesday.htm
Facts wanting on disease implications
Salmon have deadly lice, but what of farmed tuna?
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Critics of an undersea tuna farm in southwestern Costa Rica have not stressed the disease issue, but such farms could be the source of deadly viruses that could ravage Costa Rica's diverse fish and animal populations.
Although not a disease, a report from the University of Alberta Tuesday said that salmon farms were causing the death of up to to 95 per cent of migrating wild juvenile salmon that pass by.
The caged salmon are a source of a natural parasite called a salmon louse. These are small crustaceans (Lepeopshtheirus salmonis). The primary sea lice hosts are adult salmon. Under natural conditions, according to a university release, the adults are far offshore when the juveniles are migrating out to sea. Fish farms put adult salmon in net pens along the migration routes, and the result is a cloud of sea lice through which the juveniles must migrate, said the release.
"It takes only one or two sea lice to kill a juvenile pink or chum salmon," said Martin Krkosek. "The juveniles are so vulnerable because they are so small — only one to two inches long." He is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta's Centre for Mathematical Biology.
The study, done in coastal British Columbia, is being heralded as the first to provide confirmation that sea lice from fish farms kill wild salmon and to what extent. However, the problem is well-known enough to have been featured on a 2005 segment of the television series "Boston Legal," starring William Shatner and James Spader.
Not so for possible diseases promoted by tuna farms.
Krkosek said in an e-mail exchange Tuesday with A.M. Costa Rica: "I would guess that the possibility of disease problems due to tuna ranching have been completely unstudied."
The researcher did cite a report that a herpes virus showed up in Australian waters in 1995, killing many of the small fish there. Sardines imported to feed nearby fish-farmed tuna got the blame.
"The virus whipped across the ocean like a brushfire front, moving at 30 kms. a day and leaving behind it a sea of dead fish," said Rex Dalton, the U.S. West Coast correspondent for the magazine Nature in a Sept. 29, 2004, online report. "Eventually, it was estimated that 75 percent of pilchards in the region died. Seabirds, from Australasian gannets to penguins, starved in the wake of the disaster. In 1998, another virus attack knocked out many of the remaining
pilchards." Pilchards are herring-like food fish important to the birds.
In addition to Australia, tuna farms are operating in the Mediterranean and along Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
Dalton credits biologist Dr. John Volpe of the University of Victoria, who happens to be a co-author with Krkosek of the sea lice study, with being one of the first scientists to issue warnings about potential environmental damage from salmon pens off British Columbia in the mid-1990s. "The opportunity for large-scale environmental disasters is enormous," Volpe has said of plans to install fish farms off the U.S. coast.
In Costa Rica two scientists told lawmakers last week that the environmental impact study provided by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. for the Golfo Dulce project was lacking. Gerardo Umaña Villalobos, a biologist at the Universidad de Costa Rica, told the legislative Comisión de Ambiente that the study has deficiencies. For example, the impacts on turtles, dolphin and sharks were not considered, he said.
Ricardo Jimenez of Universidad Nacional agreed that there were flaws in the study, particularly relating to contaminants.
The tuna farm project has received a green light by governmental agencies, but the approvals are being appealed to the Sala IV constitutional court. Environmentalists are joined by residents of the area and tourism officials in opposing the plan.
The size of the project is staggering. The tuna firm wants to construct underwater holding cages 7.4 kms. (4.6 miles) long and 2.1 kms. (1.3 miles) wide. The cages would be down 22 meters into the water, some 70 feet. The tuna farm would be about a kilometer (six-tenths of a mile) off the coast.
The farm would be stocked by young yellowfin tuna purchased from local fishermen. Most of the existing tuna farms fatten the bluefin tuna that is much in demand in Japan for sushi.
****************
We need to pressure the government to stop this, we need to make more people aware of what is going on, all the permits were obtained very quietly. We need everyone´s help to stop this. Letters to President Oscar Arias, ICT, Minister of Tourism, letters to your embassy, letters to the Tico Times letters@ticotimes.net and $$$ to fight. There is big $$ and politics involved, so we have a hard fight. Any and all your support is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chichi ....
HELP US SAVE THE GOLFO DULCE
Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. has been given the necessary permits to start a yellow fin tuna farm project just past Punta Banco, Pavones. These permits were obtained violating national law, under questionable methods, that are presently under investigation.
Local fishermen, sport fishing operators, tourism groups, conservation organizations and local community leaders were all kept uninformed about the project and out of the process. Tourism and traditional fishing are two of the most important industries in the Golfo Dulce.
The project's first stage is to establish no less than 10 cages (interior dimensions of 50mt diameter x 20 mt. depth each) enclosed in a mesh structure of 1200 mts. x 500 mts. Several more such groups would follow down the coast to Punta Burica. Each cage is weighted down by ten anchors weighing 1.3 tones each, for a total of 130 metric tons in reduced area. The company would be provided with live tuna (30 to 80 kgs.) by tuna clippers fishing up to 250 nm out to sea. These live tuna would then be slowly towed in a cage for 15 to 45 days to the project's site.
Tuna, along with certain other marine life school under dolphins and follow them around in search of food. The tuna clippers use helicopters to spot large pods of dolphins breathing on the surface, knowing tuna will be beneath them. They then use dynamite and speed boats to corral the dolphins into an easily netted mass. They circle the dolphins with a huge net to catch all the tuna beneath. Millions of dolphins are killed world wide by tuna clippers every year using this method. This tuna is traditionally used for canning. There is no such thing “dolphin safe tuna” from tuna clippers; some fishing practices just kill fewer dolphins than others.
In the waters where these tuna clippers will be operating there are many different dolphin species among which we find spinner, spotted, bottlenose, common and Risso's.
Slowing towing a mesh cage 15 to 45 days from the open ocean to the coast will cause hundreds of marine life to get entangled and die a useless death. Endangered sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and even some to the tuna within the cage will all die and rot on their way in. Sharks will be attracted to this cage and follow it in to the coastal waters. They will then check out what else is available on the second longest left point break in the world.
The tuna that manages to survive will then be put into the cages and fed frozen, imported sardines. Though the sardines are frozen this does not eliminate the possibility of introducing a virus or other sickness that would cause a disaster on the local fish population. There is a well documented case of exactly this happening in Australia.
The amount of sardines to feed all this tuna is astronomical, and even though it will be imported, the impact on the sardine fishery in another country will be high. Tuna is migratory and comes from the South; Costa Rica will be helping to deplete the tuna stocks of the world.
The cages will be lit for navigational safety. Each light will be visible for a radius of 5 miles. This in an area where over 200 turtles come to nest every year. It is well documented that turtles use the natural light over the water to orientate themselves. The females, heavy with eggs, will be guided towards these cages and can easily get stuck and die. A few may make it in to lay their eggs. Once the babies hatch, the few that survive other obstacle and make it to the water, will be attracted by the light and swim straight into the jaws of the hungry tuna.
In Costa Rica the Olive Ridley turtle has only being registered nesting in Punta Banco and a beach in Guanacaste, it is very rare. The Hawksbill turtle also nests in Punta Banco.
Spotted and bottlenose dolphins live in the pristine Golfo Dulce. It is established that the main cause of dolphin deaths is entanglement in nets. Both the Southern and Northern Humpback whales use the gulf to feed and give birth to their young during their annual migrations. Placing these cages as a net wall in the entrance of the gulf is a sure death sentence.
The organic waste produced by the marine life that entangles in the nets, plus the tuna feces will not only attract sharks to the area, it will also cause red tides and pollute the beaches all along the coast line. The red tides could destroy all the marine environment of the gulf. The smell from all this organic matter will scare all the tourists away and the income all the communities depend on.
The fish guts, bones, skin, and other wasted (approximately 360 metric tons every harvest) will be “frozen and stored” on the factory ship for later proper disposal.
The Golfo Dulce is one of only three tropical fjords in the whole world. Its marine environment is not only very special, it's very fragile. The mangroves within the gulf are a crucial nursery for corvina, shrimp and other marine life. The coral reefs are already threatened by sedimentation from logging. The fecal matter and other organic waste would surely destroy what is left. The proposed project represents a threat to the biodiversity of the entire Gulf, and the livelihoods of all who depend on it.
The delicate ecology and unique status as a tropical fjord of the Golfo Dulce is the last place on earth where we should be developing an experiment like this (no other yellow fin tuna farm exists in the world).
The communities of the whole area do not want this project to go forward, where it is proposed or anywhere else on Costa Rica's environmentally friendly coast line. We need your help to pay for lawyers and ads to pressure the government to stop it. Every penny counts, and if you can't help us economically, please write a letter. We will collect all letters sent and get them to the President of Costa Rica.
Thank you for your help.
Checks can be made out to FUNDACION TISKITA and mailed to us.
FUNDACION TISKITA
Apdo. 74-8250
Ciudad Neilly
Costa Rica
Donations can be deposited Fundacion Tiskita's accounts in Banco Nacional
Dollars #200 02 087 000281 0
Colones # 0000146241 5
Please e mail us the deposit number and amount so we can verify and send you a receipt, all donations are tax deductible in Costa Rica. fundtiskita@yahoo.com
************************
Those who opposed an undersea tuna farm in the Golfo Dulce plan a surf championship Saturday near the community of Pavones in southwest Costa Rica.
The environmental groups sponsoring the event oppose the project proposed by Granja Atunera de Golfito S.A. and have appealed permits to the Sala IV constitutional court.
The opponents object to the mess that would be created by raising yellowfin tuna in two-kilometer-long cages beneath the pristine gulf.
************************
Opponents of an underwater tuna farm in southwest Costa Rica brought their arguments to the Asamblea Legislativa Thursday for a hearing of the Comisión Especial de Ambiente.
Opponents have filed a Sala IV constitutional court appeal to stop the project. They argue that the environmental studies were incomplete.
That is the same argument that Denise Echeverría of Vida Marina gave the committee Thursday.
Noah Anderson of the Asociación Protectora de Tortugas Marinas said that his group also has filed a complaint with the Tribunal Ambiental y Secretaría Técnica Ambiental of the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, the environmental ministry.
A man identified as Guillermo Baltodano of Punto Bravo said that the residents of the area were never notified of the project and that publication of legal notices in the official La Gaceta was not sufficient.
A representative of the Cámera de Turismo also said that this group opposes the project. The firm Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. plans on having underwater cages of some 2 kilometers long below the ocean surface to feed captive yellowfin tuna.
Opponents argue that the tuna will generate waste and scrap food, attract predators and generally degrade the pristine Gulfo Dulce.
Committee members said they would call in government environmental workers to add more information. The committee has the option of creating legislation related to such projects.
9/24/06
Tuna firm spokesman defends project as taking advantage of nation's potential
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A representative of the firm that wants to put a tuna farm underwater in southwestern Costa Rica said Thursday that the country should take advantage of its undersea resources.
The representative is Eduardo Velarde Silva, and he spoke to the Asamblea Legislativa's Comisión Especial de Ambiente. China has 174,000 square kilometers of territorial waters and it is the No. 1 aquaculture producer, he said, noting that Costa Rica has 600,000 square kilometers and great potential.
The commission heard a series of environmentalists speak
against the project last week. As news of the project by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. spread, a firestorm erupted among tourism officials and nature lovers.
The project would put two-kilometer long cages beneath the sea to raise yellow fin tuna.
Opponents say the project will litter the Golfo Dulce with dead sardines used to feed the tuna and cause a host of other problems.
Velarde said that the project would be run in an environmentally conscious manner and that if the ocean were degraded, so would be the tuna business.
The Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica is one of three tropical fjords in the Pacific Ocean . This unique aquatic habitat is home to a great diversity of marine life including dolphins, sea turtles, tropical
fish including marlin, parrotfish, dorado, red snapper, over 87 species of stomatopods and decapods, and is an important place for humpback whales and whale sharks to both breed and give birth. The
beaches surrounding the Golfo Dulce also serve as a nesting ground for hawksbill, Olive Ridley and leatherback ocean turtles.
The topography of the Golfo Dulce is such that the mouth of the gulf has a depth of 50 m, while the interior region of the gulf reaches depth of over 200 m. These inner regions of great depth are highly saline and anoxic. Anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria, whose metabolism produces highly toxic by-products, thrive in these regions, while nitrates also become concentrated at these depths. It is therefore crucial that currents from the open ocean dilute these toxic compounds such that the gulf does not become uninhabitable.
The abundance of wildlife in the Golfo Dulce is thought to be attributed to its unique topography, which makes it a sanctuary for marine life. The shallow mouth of the gulf is subject to open ocean
currents and circulate more rapidly than the inner regions of greater depth, the latter having an estuary-like pattern of water circulation. This inner region of estuary-like water circulation and great depth provides an ideal breeding ground for both mollusks and large animals such as the humpback whale as they are protected from the dangers of the open ocean.
The mouth of the Golfo Dulce is therefore crucial both for the circulation of the purifying currents entering the gulf and for the passage of marine life that uses the gulf at various times throughout
the year. The company Granjas Atuneras S.A. has proposed to the Costa Rica government to place over 100 cages to farm yellow fin tuna in the mouth of the Golfo Dulce. These cages are circular and 50 m in diameter with a depth of 22 m, and will be placed in the coastal current entering the gulf. These cages will therefore interfere with the current that cleanses the Golfo Dulce, while becoming a lethal barrier to the wildlife entering the gulf and the turtles that use the adjacent beaches as their nesting grounds.
A no-fishing zone will be placed around the cages, prohibiting local fisherman from being able to fish in their most fruitful waters. The proposed project will be directly off the coast of the Guaymi Indian Reservation. There as been no consultation with the Guaymies regarding the project and the impact it will have on their way of life and their ability to fish their waters.
Marine life in the area will be attracted to the cages as there is a concentrated source of food in the form of the uneaten sardines used to feed the tuna. Fish, turtles, whales, sharks and dolphins
constantly get caught in the cages to which they are attracted. This will also have a large adverse affect on local fish populations as they will be concentrated in a no-fishing zone before being
accidentally killed.
The proposed project also includes importing the large volumes of sardines needed to feed the tuna from Peru . This creates a tremendous risk of introducing novel diseases to the area. Caged fish are under a great deal of stress and immune compromised. Together, these two factors create a prefect setting for an epidemic which could compromise the entire marine ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce. If their plans change to take fish from the local area to feed the tuna, the food chain will be disrupted locally and again the Golfo Dulce will be compromised.
The Environmental Impact Study submitted by Granjas Atuneras S.A. (which was approved by a corrupt series of government officials) failed to properly assess the project in many aspects. The Golfo Dulce is a very dynamic ecosystem with tremendous seasonal fluctuations. There is no data on the changes that occur with the currents in the region throughout the year, and this will directly affect the dispersal and removal of wastes from the tuna farm. It as well makes no provisions for any sort of environmental monitoring of the farm, nor any remedial actions for the negative impacts it will have on local fishing or otherwise.
Over 1000 local fishermen rely on the gulf for their livelihood. The Corcovado National Park , which has been described by National geographic as the most biologically intense place on earth has a large area of sensitive mangrove along the coast of the Golfo Dulce. As well, thousands of tourists enjoy this region annually through visits to the various ecolodges. The world-famous surf destination of Pavones is also downstream of the ocean current where the tuna cages will be placed, such that this largely popular area could become laden with the waste from this farm. All these industries, which are acting in a sustainable fashion, will be adversely affected by these proposed large-scale tuna operations. This is only the second yellow fin tuna farming project to have been proposed (the first of which failed in Panama ), and there is no scientific data having studied the environmental impact or success of such an operation.
This tuna is not destined for domestic consumption, rather is to be transported to Japan and the United States for sushi. There will be no added social benefits to the area as a minimum people will be employed to operate the tuna farm.
Local community organizations are working on this issue, the municipality of Golfito , the municipality of Puerto Jimenez, the Chamber of Tourism of Golfito and many small NGO´s are trying to raise awareness. Unfortunately, many of these places do not even have a phone and our efforts to co-ordinate have been very difficult. We are trying to raise awareness internationally to pressure the government based on their green image for tourism to be true to their word. There are currently no international organizations working to help us with public awareness.
So far a law suit we presented has managed to halt the project for the time being, while the courts review the facts of the proposal. It is during this time that we believe pressure should be applied to the
appeals court with a letter writing campaign from the international community expressing concerns over this proposal. This project has already been approved by the Costa Rican government without any public consultation as is required by law. Despite this deplorable display of corruption and lack of consideration for environmental sustainability, for which Costa Rica prides itself, this tuna project has been temporarily halted as it is being re-evaluated by an appeals court.
nput from the international community will be extremely valuable during this appeals court process. The court is evaluating information it receives, and letters expressing your opinion can influence this
process. As a member of the international community, tourism is the industry that is most affected by your opinion. For this reason, we request that you write a letter to both the President Oscar Arias and the Costa Rican tourism board ICT. The addresses are written below.
Please emphasize your concerns for the environment and the impact this will have on your potential to support Costa Rica by choosing it as a travel destination.
Here you can find helpful pointers on how to write an effective letter: http://globalresponse.org/letterwritingtips.php
Please visit PRETOMA (http://www.tortugamarina.org/) for updates on
this fight.
If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate
to contact me. We sincerely appreciate your help by voicing your opinion.
Addresses for letters:
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)
San José
Costa Rica
Fax (506) 220-3555
His Excellency
Oscar Arias Sanchez
The President of Costa Rica
Casa Presidencial
San Jose, Costa Rica
--
Thx. Have a nice day !
--
Yves Van den Meerssche
ASTV eBay Shop / ASTV Media
+27(0)72 289 58 07
actionsport@gmail.com
www.actionsport.tv
From A.M. Costa Rica's Newsite - http://www.amcostarica.com/wednesday.htm
Facts wanting on disease implications
Salmon have deadly lice, but what of farmed tuna?
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Critics of an undersea tuna farm in southwestern Costa Rica have not stressed the disease issue, but such farms could be the source of deadly viruses that could ravage Costa Rica's diverse fish and animal populations.
Although not a disease, a report from the University of Alberta Tuesday said that salmon farms were causing the death of up to to 95 per cent of migrating wild juvenile salmon that pass by.
The caged salmon are a source of a natural parasite called a salmon louse. These are small crustaceans (Lepeopshtheirus salmonis). The primary sea lice hosts are adult salmon. Under natural conditions, according to a university release, the adults are far offshore when the juveniles are migrating out to sea. Fish farms put adult salmon in net pens along the migration routes, and the result is a cloud of sea lice through which the juveniles must migrate, said the release.
"It takes only one or two sea lice to kill a juvenile pink or chum salmon," said Martin Krkosek. "The juveniles are so vulnerable because they are so small — only one to two inches long." He is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta's Centre for Mathematical Biology.
The study, done in coastal British Columbia, is being heralded as the first to provide confirmation that sea lice from fish farms kill wild salmon and to what extent. However, the problem is well-known enough to have been featured on a 2005 segment of the television series "Boston Legal," starring William Shatner and James Spader.
Not so for possible diseases promoted by tuna farms.
Krkosek said in an e-mail exchange Tuesday with A.M. Costa Rica: "I would guess that the possibility of disease problems due to tuna ranching have been completely unstudied."
The researcher did cite a report that a herpes virus showed up in Australian waters in 1995, killing many of the small fish there. Sardines imported to feed nearby fish-farmed tuna got the blame.
"The virus whipped across the ocean like a brushfire front, moving at 30 kms. a day and leaving behind it a sea of dead fish," said Rex Dalton, the U.S. West Coast correspondent for the magazine Nature in a Sept. 29, 2004, online report. "Eventually, it was estimated that 75 percent of pilchards in the region died. Seabirds, from Australasian gannets to penguins, starved in the wake of the disaster. In 1998, another virus attack knocked out many of the remaining
pilchards." Pilchards are herring-like food fish important to the birds.
In addition to Australia, tuna farms are operating in the Mediterranean and along Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
Dalton credits biologist Dr. John Volpe of the University of Victoria, who happens to be a co-author with Krkosek of the sea lice study, with being one of the first scientists to issue warnings about potential environmental damage from salmon pens off British Columbia in the mid-1990s. "The opportunity for large-scale environmental disasters is enormous," Volpe has said of plans to install fish farms off the U.S. coast.
In Costa Rica two scientists told lawmakers last week that the environmental impact study provided by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. for the Golfo Dulce project was lacking. Gerardo Umaña Villalobos, a biologist at the Universidad de Costa Rica, told the legislative Comisión de Ambiente that the study has deficiencies. For example, the impacts on turtles, dolphin and sharks were not considered, he said.
Ricardo Jimenez of Universidad Nacional agreed that there were flaws in the study, particularly relating to contaminants.
The tuna farm project has received a green light by governmental agencies, but the approvals are being appealed to the Sala IV constitutional court. Environmentalists are joined by residents of the area and tourism officials in opposing the plan.
The size of the project is staggering. The tuna firm wants to construct underwater holding cages 7.4 kms. (4.6 miles) long and 2.1 kms. (1.3 miles) wide. The cages would be down 22 meters into the water, some 70 feet. The tuna farm would be about a kilometer (six-tenths of a mile) off the coast.
The farm would be stocked by young yellowfin tuna purchased from local fishermen. Most of the existing tuna farms fatten the bluefin tuna that is much in demand in Japan for sushi.
****************
We need to pressure the government to stop this, we need to make more people aware of what is going on, all the permits were obtained very quietly. We need everyone´s help to stop this. Letters to President Oscar Arias, ICT, Minister of Tourism, letters to your embassy, letters to the Tico Times letters@ticotimes.net and $$$ to fight. There is big $$ and politics involved, so we have a hard fight. Any and all your support is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chichi ....
HELP US SAVE THE GOLFO DULCE
Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. has been given the necessary permits to start a yellow fin tuna farm project just past Punta Banco, Pavones. These permits were obtained violating national law, under questionable methods, that are presently under investigation.
Local fishermen, sport fishing operators, tourism groups, conservation organizations and local community leaders were all kept uninformed about the project and out of the process. Tourism and traditional fishing are two of the most important industries in the Golfo Dulce.
The project's first stage is to establish no less than 10 cages (interior dimensions of 50mt diameter x 20 mt. depth each) enclosed in a mesh structure of 1200 mts. x 500 mts. Several more such groups would follow down the coast to Punta Burica. Each cage is weighted down by ten anchors weighing 1.3 tones each, for a total of 130 metric tons in reduced area. The company would be provided with live tuna (30 to 80 kgs.) by tuna clippers fishing up to 250 nm out to sea. These live tuna would then be slowly towed in a cage for 15 to 45 days to the project's site.
Tuna, along with certain other marine life school under dolphins and follow them around in search of food. The tuna clippers use helicopters to spot large pods of dolphins breathing on the surface, knowing tuna will be beneath them. They then use dynamite and speed boats to corral the dolphins into an easily netted mass. They circle the dolphins with a huge net to catch all the tuna beneath. Millions of dolphins are killed world wide by tuna clippers every year using this method. This tuna is traditionally used for canning. There is no such thing “dolphin safe tuna” from tuna clippers; some fishing practices just kill fewer dolphins than others.
In the waters where these tuna clippers will be operating there are many different dolphin species among which we find spinner, spotted, bottlenose, common and Risso's.
Slowing towing a mesh cage 15 to 45 days from the open ocean to the coast will cause hundreds of marine life to get entangled and die a useless death. Endangered sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and even some to the tuna within the cage will all die and rot on their way in. Sharks will be attracted to this cage and follow it in to the coastal waters. They will then check out what else is available on the second longest left point break in the world.
The tuna that manages to survive will then be put into the cages and fed frozen, imported sardines. Though the sardines are frozen this does not eliminate the possibility of introducing a virus or other sickness that would cause a disaster on the local fish population. There is a well documented case of exactly this happening in Australia.
The amount of sardines to feed all this tuna is astronomical, and even though it will be imported, the impact on the sardine fishery in another country will be high. Tuna is migratory and comes from the South; Costa Rica will be helping to deplete the tuna stocks of the world.
The cages will be lit for navigational safety. Each light will be visible for a radius of 5 miles. This in an area where over 200 turtles come to nest every year. It is well documented that turtles use the natural light over the water to orientate themselves. The females, heavy with eggs, will be guided towards these cages and can easily get stuck and die. A few may make it in to lay their eggs. Once the babies hatch, the few that survive other obstacle and make it to the water, will be attracted by the light and swim straight into the jaws of the hungry tuna.
In Costa Rica the Olive Ridley turtle has only being registered nesting in Punta Banco and a beach in Guanacaste, it is very rare. The Hawksbill turtle also nests in Punta Banco.
Spotted and bottlenose dolphins live in the pristine Golfo Dulce. It is established that the main cause of dolphin deaths is entanglement in nets. Both the Southern and Northern Humpback whales use the gulf to feed and give birth to their young during their annual migrations. Placing these cages as a net wall in the entrance of the gulf is a sure death sentence.
The organic waste produced by the marine life that entangles in the nets, plus the tuna feces will not only attract sharks to the area, it will also cause red tides and pollute the beaches all along the coast line. The red tides could destroy all the marine environment of the gulf. The smell from all this organic matter will scare all the tourists away and the income all the communities depend on.
The fish guts, bones, skin, and other wasted (approximately 360 metric tons every harvest) will be “frozen and stored” on the factory ship for later proper disposal.
The Golfo Dulce is one of only three tropical fjords in the whole world. Its marine environment is not only very special, it's very fragile. The mangroves within the gulf are a crucial nursery for corvina, shrimp and other marine life. The coral reefs are already threatened by sedimentation from logging. The fecal matter and other organic waste would surely destroy what is left. The proposed project represents a threat to the biodiversity of the entire Gulf, and the livelihoods of all who depend on it.
The delicate ecology and unique status as a tropical fjord of the Golfo Dulce is the last place on earth where we should be developing an experiment like this (no other yellow fin tuna farm exists in the world).
The communities of the whole area do not want this project to go forward, where it is proposed or anywhere else on Costa Rica's environmentally friendly coast line. We need your help to pay for lawyers and ads to pressure the government to stop it. Every penny counts, and if you can't help us economically, please write a letter. We will collect all letters sent and get them to the President of Costa Rica.
Thank you for your help.
Checks can be made out to FUNDACION TISKITA and mailed to us.
FUNDACION TISKITA
Apdo. 74-8250
Ciudad Neilly
Costa Rica
Donations can be deposited Fundacion Tiskita's accounts in Banco Nacional
Dollars #200 02 087 000281 0
Colones # 0000146241 5
Please e mail us the deposit number and amount so we can verify and send you a receipt, all donations are tax deductible in Costa Rica. fundtiskita@yahoo.com
************************
Those who opposed an undersea tuna farm in the Golfo Dulce plan a surf championship Saturday near the community of Pavones in southwest Costa Rica.
The environmental groups sponsoring the event oppose the project proposed by Granja Atunera de Golfito S.A. and have appealed permits to the Sala IV constitutional court.
The opponents object to the mess that would be created by raising yellowfin tuna in two-kilometer-long cages beneath the pristine gulf.
************************
Opponents of an underwater tuna farm in southwest Costa Rica brought their arguments to the Asamblea Legislativa Thursday for a hearing of the Comisión Especial de Ambiente.
Opponents have filed a Sala IV constitutional court appeal to stop the project. They argue that the environmental studies were incomplete.
That is the same argument that Denise Echeverría of Vida Marina gave the committee Thursday.
Noah Anderson of the Asociación Protectora de Tortugas Marinas said that his group also has filed a complaint with the Tribunal Ambiental y Secretaría Técnica Ambiental of the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, the environmental ministry.
A man identified as Guillermo Baltodano of Punto Bravo said that the residents of the area were never notified of the project and that publication of legal notices in the official La Gaceta was not sufficient.
A representative of the Cámera de Turismo also said that this group opposes the project. The firm Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. plans on having underwater cages of some 2 kilometers long below the ocean surface to feed captive yellowfin tuna.
Opponents argue that the tuna will generate waste and scrap food, attract predators and generally degrade the pristine Gulfo Dulce.
Committee members said they would call in government environmental workers to add more information. The committee has the option of creating legislation related to such projects.
9/24/06
Tuna firm spokesman defends project as taking advantage of nation's potential
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A representative of the firm that wants to put a tuna farm underwater in southwestern Costa Rica said Thursday that the country should take advantage of its undersea resources.
The representative is Eduardo Velarde Silva, and he spoke to the Asamblea Legislativa's Comisión Especial de Ambiente. China has 174,000 square kilometers of territorial waters and it is the No. 1 aquaculture producer, he said, noting that Costa Rica has 600,000 square kilometers and great potential.
The commission heard a series of environmentalists speak
against the project last week. As news of the project by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. spread, a firestorm erupted among tourism officials and nature lovers.
The project would put two-kilometer long cages beneath the sea to raise yellow fin tuna.
Opponents say the project will litter the Golfo Dulce with dead sardines used to feed the tuna and cause a host of other problems.
Velarde said that the project would be run in an environmentally conscious manner and that if the ocean were degraded, so would be the tuna business.
Beach Tower Plans Criticized
Beach Tower Plans Criticized
By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@ticotimes.net
PLAYA HERMOSA, Puntarenas – Legendary surf roared beneath an inky, star-speckled sky as area residents, angered by the proposed development of two 14-story towers nearby, took turns speaking in the dimly lit, open-air bar beside Cabinas Las Olas.
“Why can't they do this in a respectful manner,” said Andrea Díaz, owner of nearby Waves Costa Rica surf school and tours, sweat beading from her brow and dripping past her nose. “I live off tourism. People are here because they can see turtles, iguanas, macaws, not to be in the shade of a 14-story building.”
The heat, even at night, is as much a reality as impending development along the sultry central Pacific coastline around Jacó, and as residents pulled sticky, sweat-soaked shirts from their bodies, the discussion kept pace with the temperature.
Advertising Luxury: A large billboard promotes the planned beach towers at the site, Playa Hermosa on the central Pacific coast. by Dave Sherwood | Tico Times
The project, known as the Diamond Beach Towers, would cover 11 acres and offer complete on-site amenities, including 159 units, 24-hour security and concierge, two full-size lighted tennis courts, beachfront golf-practice facilities, a restaurant, a modern health spa and fitness center, a game room, movie theater and party hall, according to a recent advertisement in The Tico Times.
Units in the towers would start at $575,000 and rise to $2.5 million for 10,000-square-foot penthouses with private elevator access in the upper levels.
Residents are concerned such towers – which would rank as two of the tallest buildings on the west coast between the port town of Puntarenas and Panama – might impede the arrival of endangered olive ridley turtles in the adjacent Playa Hermosa Turtle Refuge, water birds in nearby wetlands, and, just as importantly, they say, tourists and surfers to their “quiet” beach.
“It's David versus Goliath,” said Esteban Mora, owner of The Backyard hotel, located nearby, and a leader of the newly formed community association. “It won't be easy, and we will have to work together to fight this.”
Playa Hermosa, unlike Jacó to the north, has changed relatively little over the years – most of the construction is along a short stretch of coconut palm-lined beach on the picturesque north end, where small one- and two-story hotels and cabins are tucked neatly in the shady over-story, lights kept dim at night to avoid disturbing the nesting turtles, which last year numbered over 2,000 in the nearby refuge, according to park guard Marco García.
Here, constant surf churns humid salt air that envelops the rich volcanic beach in a hazy, tropical mist – creating a perfect setting that has long made it one of the most popular surf destinations in the country, Díaz said.
The twin towers development, while ambitious, is not unique to Costa Rica, and is one of many proposed developments at Hermosa. Construction is booming along the Pacific coast provinces – the number of square meters built rose 137% in the province of Puntarenas in 2006 compared to the year before (TT Jan. 25).
By the Books
Tranquil Beach: Surfers and other sun-seekers frequent the quiet Playa Hermosa. Above, the north end of the beach.
Dave Sherwood | Tico Times
In a meeting at the Diamond Beach Towers modern office off Paseo Colón, in downtown San José, Plácido Benito, sales and marketing manager for the project, set the air-conditioning to “cool” and told The Tico Times that such controversy is hardly surprising.
“Everyone has a right to make their points. But if we followed only the beliefs of people who didn't want to develop, a lot of hotels wouldn't exist in Costa Rica,” said Benito, a native Costa Rican who said he worked for years as a national park guide. “We are 100% in favor of protecting the environment.”
Such a development, he said, would help to create jobs and attract more tourists to the region, who would in turn spend money at locally owned shops and restaurants.
“Think about how many surfboards the people at Playa Hermosa would rent if this goes through,” agreed managing director Murad Karimi, son of developer Ramzan Karimi, of Atlanta, in the U.S. state of Georgia. “I know I would rent from them.”
Company lawyer Leonardo Salazar, who also met with The Tico Times, said the project has yet to receive any permits, but has begun the process required by the Technical Secretariat of the Environment Ministry (SETENA).
“We are very comfortable with the fact that we are following all legal requirements,” he said. “This is all subject to environmental review. If someone has a problem with it, they are welcome to put it forward.”
Salazar and Benito brushed off allegations from Playa Hermosa residents that a bulldozer on the property has already excavated a beachfront sand dune and constructed roads on the property without appropriate permits.
“Everything we have done there is strictly a part of the environmental-impact study process,” Salazar said.
According to Salazar, the development company, Mosaic International, is a charter member of the “For a Better Jacó” campaign, which seeks to improve the “security and beauty” of the region.
“We want to make the beach more beautiful, and safe. If it's not that way, our clients won't want to buy from us,” he said.
Billboards and ads – in The Tico Times, at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela west of San José, and at the proposed site at Hermosa – describe the development as “Modern Refinement… Naturally.”
They also offer “Pre-construction special” deals to prospective clients – though construction permits, according to Garabito Municipality official Vanesa González, have yet to be issued.
Benito points out such specials are common practice in the real estate industry – a necessary method for securing loans for high-price investments. Such actions, however, enrage some Hermosa residents, who believe such a development would be in violation of Costa Rican law.
According to Diáz and others, the proposed construction site is widely recognized as an humedal, or wetland, and floods over completely during the rainy season.
SETENA inspector Francisco Fernández, who visited the property Feb. 8, told The Tico Times that Costa Rican law protects wetlands from development, though he would not comment on whether or not the property is a wetland zone.
Developers, however, insist it is not.
Unanswered Questions
At the Playa Hermosa community meeting last week, hotel owners wondered if the town's already stressed water supply would be adequate for such a massive development. Surfers worried that re-routing a wetland and its associated stream, which flows into the Pacific, could change the dynamics of the surf break – a near perfect blend of slope, sand and surf that attracts the International Quicksilver Surf Championships each August.
Others questioned the proximity of the towers – 14-stories and encased in sprawling picture windows – to the turtle refuge. Wouldn't the turtles become disoriented by the lights, or, even worse, stop visiting the beach all together, as they have at other more developed beaches along the coast?
According to Gerardo Chavarría, administrator of the adjacent refuge, the proposed towers would likely pose a serious threat.
“We are very concerned, first because it is a wetland, and there shouldn't be construction there. But also because we feel the development must be more moderate, limited to two stories, or eight meters. Buildings and lights that tall would be the end of the arrival of the turtles,” he said.
In a note he sent to SETENA last week, Chavarría asked that he and the park authority be consulted in any further development plans along the beach, to ensure the well-being of the turtles.
According to municipality building official González, Hermosa's plan regulador, or zoning plan – which restricts the height of buildings and the type of development allowed – applies only to the very northern end of the beach, where small, one- and two-story hotels are largely hidden from view by beach-front palms. The rest of the beach, she said, is not governed by any type of zoning plan.
Regardless, SETENA inspector Fernández told The Tico Times that the SETENA review process – a seven-part, comprehensive look at every environmental aspect of a project in consultation with various government agencies, is far from over.
“We're still in the very early stages,” he said, citing the fact that the final approval – or disapproval – could take six months or more.
Meanwhile, Benito and the developers, confident in the legality and environmental sensitivity of the project, launched a Web site this week, www.diamondbeachtowers.com, including a promise to open a live “construction cam” to allow prospective buyers to watch the towers rise.
“ Costa Rica is a country of laws, and we as Costa Ricans, must respect these laws. It is not the people – for or against it – who decide whether this project will pass, it is our laws,” Benito said.
By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@ticotimes.net
PLAYA HERMOSA, Puntarenas – Legendary surf roared beneath an inky, star-speckled sky as area residents, angered by the proposed development of two 14-story towers nearby, took turns speaking in the dimly lit, open-air bar beside Cabinas Las Olas.
“Why can't they do this in a respectful manner,” said Andrea Díaz, owner of nearby Waves Costa Rica surf school and tours, sweat beading from her brow and dripping past her nose. “I live off tourism. People are here because they can see turtles, iguanas, macaws, not to be in the shade of a 14-story building.”
The heat, even at night, is as much a reality as impending development along the sultry central Pacific coastline around Jacó, and as residents pulled sticky, sweat-soaked shirts from their bodies, the discussion kept pace with the temperature.
Advertising Luxury: A large billboard promotes the planned beach towers at the site, Playa Hermosa on the central Pacific coast. by Dave Sherwood | Tico Times
The project, known as the Diamond Beach Towers, would cover 11 acres and offer complete on-site amenities, including 159 units, 24-hour security and concierge, two full-size lighted tennis courts, beachfront golf-practice facilities, a restaurant, a modern health spa and fitness center, a game room, movie theater and party hall, according to a recent advertisement in The Tico Times.
Units in the towers would start at $575,000 and rise to $2.5 million for 10,000-square-foot penthouses with private elevator access in the upper levels.
Residents are concerned such towers – which would rank as two of the tallest buildings on the west coast between the port town of Puntarenas and Panama – might impede the arrival of endangered olive ridley turtles in the adjacent Playa Hermosa Turtle Refuge, water birds in nearby wetlands, and, just as importantly, they say, tourists and surfers to their “quiet” beach.
“It's David versus Goliath,” said Esteban Mora, owner of The Backyard hotel, located nearby, and a leader of the newly formed community association. “It won't be easy, and we will have to work together to fight this.”
Playa Hermosa, unlike Jacó to the north, has changed relatively little over the years – most of the construction is along a short stretch of coconut palm-lined beach on the picturesque north end, where small one- and two-story hotels and cabins are tucked neatly in the shady over-story, lights kept dim at night to avoid disturbing the nesting turtles, which last year numbered over 2,000 in the nearby refuge, according to park guard Marco García.
Here, constant surf churns humid salt air that envelops the rich volcanic beach in a hazy, tropical mist – creating a perfect setting that has long made it one of the most popular surf destinations in the country, Díaz said.
The twin towers development, while ambitious, is not unique to Costa Rica, and is one of many proposed developments at Hermosa. Construction is booming along the Pacific coast provinces – the number of square meters built rose 137% in the province of Puntarenas in 2006 compared to the year before (TT Jan. 25).
By the Books
Tranquil Beach: Surfers and other sun-seekers frequent the quiet Playa Hermosa. Above, the north end of the beach.
Dave Sherwood | Tico Times
In a meeting at the Diamond Beach Towers modern office off Paseo Colón, in downtown San José, Plácido Benito, sales and marketing manager for the project, set the air-conditioning to “cool” and told The Tico Times that such controversy is hardly surprising.
“Everyone has a right to make their points. But if we followed only the beliefs of people who didn't want to develop, a lot of hotels wouldn't exist in Costa Rica,” said Benito, a native Costa Rican who said he worked for years as a national park guide. “We are 100% in favor of protecting the environment.”
Such a development, he said, would help to create jobs and attract more tourists to the region, who would in turn spend money at locally owned shops and restaurants.
“Think about how many surfboards the people at Playa Hermosa would rent if this goes through,” agreed managing director Murad Karimi, son of developer Ramzan Karimi, of Atlanta, in the U.S. state of Georgia. “I know I would rent from them.”
Company lawyer Leonardo Salazar, who also met with The Tico Times, said the project has yet to receive any permits, but has begun the process required by the Technical Secretariat of the Environment Ministry (SETENA).
“We are very comfortable with the fact that we are following all legal requirements,” he said. “This is all subject to environmental review. If someone has a problem with it, they are welcome to put it forward.”
Salazar and Benito brushed off allegations from Playa Hermosa residents that a bulldozer on the property has already excavated a beachfront sand dune and constructed roads on the property without appropriate permits.
“Everything we have done there is strictly a part of the environmental-impact study process,” Salazar said.
According to Salazar, the development company, Mosaic International, is a charter member of the “For a Better Jacó” campaign, which seeks to improve the “security and beauty” of the region.
“We want to make the beach more beautiful, and safe. If it's not that way, our clients won't want to buy from us,” he said.
Billboards and ads – in The Tico Times, at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela west of San José, and at the proposed site at Hermosa – describe the development as “Modern Refinement… Naturally.”
They also offer “Pre-construction special” deals to prospective clients – though construction permits, according to Garabito Municipality official Vanesa González, have yet to be issued.
Benito points out such specials are common practice in the real estate industry – a necessary method for securing loans for high-price investments. Such actions, however, enrage some Hermosa residents, who believe such a development would be in violation of Costa Rican law.
According to Diáz and others, the proposed construction site is widely recognized as an humedal, or wetland, and floods over completely during the rainy season.
SETENA inspector Francisco Fernández, who visited the property Feb. 8, told The Tico Times that Costa Rican law protects wetlands from development, though he would not comment on whether or not the property is a wetland zone.
Developers, however, insist it is not.
Unanswered Questions
At the Playa Hermosa community meeting last week, hotel owners wondered if the town's already stressed water supply would be adequate for such a massive development. Surfers worried that re-routing a wetland and its associated stream, which flows into the Pacific, could change the dynamics of the surf break – a near perfect blend of slope, sand and surf that attracts the International Quicksilver Surf Championships each August.
Others questioned the proximity of the towers – 14-stories and encased in sprawling picture windows – to the turtle refuge. Wouldn't the turtles become disoriented by the lights, or, even worse, stop visiting the beach all together, as they have at other more developed beaches along the coast?
According to Gerardo Chavarría, administrator of the adjacent refuge, the proposed towers would likely pose a serious threat.
“We are very concerned, first because it is a wetland, and there shouldn't be construction there. But also because we feel the development must be more moderate, limited to two stories, or eight meters. Buildings and lights that tall would be the end of the arrival of the turtles,” he said.
In a note he sent to SETENA last week, Chavarría asked that he and the park authority be consulted in any further development plans along the beach, to ensure the well-being of the turtles.
According to municipality building official González, Hermosa's plan regulador, or zoning plan – which restricts the height of buildings and the type of development allowed – applies only to the very northern end of the beach, where small, one- and two-story hotels are largely hidden from view by beach-front palms. The rest of the beach, she said, is not governed by any type of zoning plan.
Regardless, SETENA inspector Fernández told The Tico Times that the SETENA review process – a seven-part, comprehensive look at every environmental aspect of a project in consultation with various government agencies, is far from over.
“We're still in the very early stages,” he said, citing the fact that the final approval – or disapproval – could take six months or more.
Meanwhile, Benito and the developers, confident in the legality and environmental sensitivity of the project, launched a Web site this week, www.diamondbeachtowers.com, including a promise to open a live “construction cam” to allow prospective buyers to watch the towers rise.
“ Costa Rica is a country of laws, and we as Costa Ricans, must respect these laws. It is not the people – for or against it – who decide whether this project will pass, it is our laws,” Benito said.
Locals Make Waves At Foundation Fundraiser
Locals Make Waves At Foundation Fundraiser
from The Beach Times
By Britton Jacob-Schram
Tamarindo's chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, the international non-profit organization dedicated to water quality and ocean preservation, say their latest fundraiser was a success, despite receiving flak from a local group of surfers.
Claims alleging the non-profit group is implicitly partisan toward Tamarindo development are wholly unfounded, say representatives from the chapter.
Money taken in by the fundraiser — a night of live music which took place at Tamarindo's Voodoo Lounge, Saturday night — will be used to fund more water quality testing kits and improve Tamarindo's main beach access, says the chapter's co-chair, Brian Bratton, who's lived in Tamarindo for the past three years, and started surfing more than 20 years ago on the east coast of the United States.
About 250 people showed up to Saturday's event, he said, adding entrance cover fees and a percentage of the bar tab helped the benefit bring in about $1800 to $2000.
However, it was the 2000 colones-cover fee (about $4), which upset a group of locals.
“The cover was nothing — it was a couple thousand-colones, but some of us had no money,” said Christian Arce who, with his group of ten or 15 Costa Rican friends, was initially denied entrance into the event.
“One of my friends had absolutely no money,” says Mr Arce. “He reached into his pockets and just took out everything he had to give it to them, and they said ‘No, no, you can't come in.' ”
“I said, ‘No, we're not going to pay. We're locals,” he said, adding he recognized many of the benefit's attendees from surfing alongside them in Tamarindo.
Mr Arce maintains the issue stems greatly from the water, and that the altercation at the benefit just brought to a head the fact many Costa Ricans are often inconvenienced by foreigners while surfing. He said there have been numerous incidents involving this “elite group” of surfers.
The bigger problem, continues Mr Arce, is a glaring conflict of interest within the chapter — it is mainly comprised of developers and real estate agents.
“We lost the Blue Flag — not because of the way Tamarindo is — but because of all the developers, because of everything going on, and nobody caring. But tourists care,” he said. “They don't go to a place with a bad reputation, where the water's polluted.”
According to Mr. Bratton — who owns his own real estate brokerage — the remarks go against the chapter's charter and what they are actively doing. “I don't know how that's possibly a conflict of interest. It is well within my interest and all within my clients' interests that Tamarindo have clean water.”
Yet, an anonymous posting on the chapter's internet blog — part of the Surfrider Foundation's official web site — alleges something similar.
Dated June 26 of this year, the posting reads: “What a joke [Surfrider Costa Rica] is. Run by a bunch of real estate agents…. The Ministry of Health just published the results that the contamination in the Tamarindo Bay is unswimmable. Where is [Surfrider's] results, I spent good money at two fund raisers where the money was supposed to go to testing water quality. Still no results published.”
Mr Bratton said the comments are “grossly unfounded”; and that the chapter, which he co-chairs with Lock Cooper, was in fact one of the first organizations to turn up the heat on the issue of Tamarindo's beach water quality. Mr Bratton asked that the anonymous person attend one of the chapter's monthly meetings and see what's been affected — even within the last few months.
The chapter, he says, is in close contact with the Asociación Pro Mejoras de Playa Tamarindo (Tamarindo Association), and the issue of water quality now has “a nice head of steam and… it's moving forward”.
“We want people to come to the meetings — anyone can come, you don't have to be a member,” though he adds annual membership fees for Costa Ricans are discounted to $10 (about 5000 colones), whereas foreigners pay $20 (about 10,000 colones).
“People need to stop talking and start acting…. Everything we're doing is positive.”
The Tamarindo Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation meets on the last Thursday of every month, at the Surf Club Sports Bar in Playa Langosta.
from The Beach Times
By Britton Jacob-Schram
Tamarindo's chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, the international non-profit organization dedicated to water quality and ocean preservation, say their latest fundraiser was a success, despite receiving flak from a local group of surfers.
Claims alleging the non-profit group is implicitly partisan toward Tamarindo development are wholly unfounded, say representatives from the chapter.
Money taken in by the fundraiser — a night of live music which took place at Tamarindo's Voodoo Lounge, Saturday night — will be used to fund more water quality testing kits and improve Tamarindo's main beach access, says the chapter's co-chair, Brian Bratton, who's lived in Tamarindo for the past three years, and started surfing more than 20 years ago on the east coast of the United States.
About 250 people showed up to Saturday's event, he said, adding entrance cover fees and a percentage of the bar tab helped the benefit bring in about $1800 to $2000.
However, it was the 2000 colones-cover fee (about $4), which upset a group of locals.
“The cover was nothing — it was a couple thousand-colones, but some of us had no money,” said Christian Arce who, with his group of ten or 15 Costa Rican friends, was initially denied entrance into the event.
“One of my friends had absolutely no money,” says Mr Arce. “He reached into his pockets and just took out everything he had to give it to them, and they said ‘No, no, you can't come in.' ”
“I said, ‘No, we're not going to pay. We're locals,” he said, adding he recognized many of the benefit's attendees from surfing alongside them in Tamarindo.
Mr Arce maintains the issue stems greatly from the water, and that the altercation at the benefit just brought to a head the fact many Costa Ricans are often inconvenienced by foreigners while surfing. He said there have been numerous incidents involving this “elite group” of surfers.
The bigger problem, continues Mr Arce, is a glaring conflict of interest within the chapter — it is mainly comprised of developers and real estate agents.
“We lost the Blue Flag — not because of the way Tamarindo is — but because of all the developers, because of everything going on, and nobody caring. But tourists care,” he said. “They don't go to a place with a bad reputation, where the water's polluted.”
According to Mr. Bratton — who owns his own real estate brokerage — the remarks go against the chapter's charter and what they are actively doing. “I don't know how that's possibly a conflict of interest. It is well within my interest and all within my clients' interests that Tamarindo have clean water.”
Yet, an anonymous posting on the chapter's internet blog — part of the Surfrider Foundation's official web site — alleges something similar.
Dated June 26 of this year, the posting reads: “What a joke [Surfrider Costa Rica] is. Run by a bunch of real estate agents…. The Ministry of Health just published the results that the contamination in the Tamarindo Bay is unswimmable. Where is [Surfrider's] results, I spent good money at two fund raisers where the money was supposed to go to testing water quality. Still no results published.”
Mr Bratton said the comments are “grossly unfounded”; and that the chapter, which he co-chairs with Lock Cooper, was in fact one of the first organizations to turn up the heat on the issue of Tamarindo's beach water quality. Mr Bratton asked that the anonymous person attend one of the chapter's monthly meetings and see what's been affected — even within the last few months.
The chapter, he says, is in close contact with the Asociación Pro Mejoras de Playa Tamarindo (Tamarindo Association), and the issue of water quality now has “a nice head of steam and… it's moving forward”.
“We want people to come to the meetings — anyone can come, you don't have to be a member,” though he adds annual membership fees for Costa Ricans are discounted to $10 (about 5000 colones), whereas foreigners pay $20 (about 10,000 colones).
“People need to stop talking and start acting…. Everything we're doing is positive.”
The Tamarindo Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation meets on the last Thursday of every month, at the Surf Club Sports Bar in Playa Langosta.
Tamarindo Getting Potty Trained - from the Tico Times
Tamarindo Getting Potty Trained - from the Tico Times
Health Ministry Has Closed 11 Businesses, Put 65 Others on Notice
By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@ticotimes.net
After months tracking the route of last night's gallo pinto from toilet to sea, the Health Ministry issued sanitary orders to 65 businesses in Tamarindo and closed 11 others, demanding immediate action to clean up the Pacific coast town's sewage problem.
The move – which pointed the finger at more than half the hotels and restaurants inspected by the ministry – outraged some but calmed others who believed it long overdue.
In August, the National Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) discovered dangerous levels of fecal contamination along Tamarindo's beaches.
The results were shelved for weeks until the national press prompted the Health Ministry to take action.
“We are happy to see there has been progress,” said Federico Amador, president of the Tamarindo Improvement Association, which has helped support the ministry efforts. “But we still have serious problems.”
Tamarindo, idealized in the movie “Endless Summer” for its tanned surfers and velvety waves, lacks both zoning and a sewage treatment plant.
The Health Ministry report cited a wide range of violations – from tubes spewing sewage directly onto the street or the stream out back, to businesses operating without licenses or any sewage treatment at all.
“There have been a huge amount of irregularities detected,” said Amador.
There has been some good news too.
Recent tests conducted by accredited labs and the University of Costa Rica showed waters had cleaned up significantly since August – to the point where they were once again safe for swimming.
It's a welcome relief, said Amador, as snowbirds from Europe and North America flock to the town, now considered by the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT) to be the country's third most-popular tourist destination.
Health Ministry officials acknowledge some improvement was inevitable with the onset of the December-May dry season, but believe baby steps taken over the past few months have helped too.
Despite a more positive outlook, the beach's Blue Flag, signifying clean ocean water, which was revoked in November, will remain revoked for now, said Amador.
“We won't reapply until we're sure we deserve it,” he said. “We want to resolve the underlying issues, not look for quick fixes.”
During the rainy season, the water table rises, flooding leach fields and septic tanks, and eventually, re-routing sewage into the ocean.
Amador said a full year will be necessary before the town can ensure the problem has been resolved.
“We'll have to wait and see,” said Amador. “We understand that this process takes time.”
The Health Ministry's methodical approach began in October and included the distribution of a questionnaire asking building owners to identify the age and status of their own sewage treatment facilities or septic tanks.
After that, weeks of inspections, further tests and mapping allowed officials to identify chief offenders, according to Dr. Juan Luis Sánchez, director of the ministry's Santa Cruz regional office.
This newest round of sanitary orders – which demand property owners take action to remedy faulty sewage systems – and closures are the result.
Concerned residents, as well as the Health Ministry, have called for the construction of town sewage treatment plant.
“We are taking the right steps, but we have to keep pushing for more,” Amador said.
Health Ministry Has Closed 11 Businesses, Put 65 Others on Notice
By Dave Sherwood
Tico Times Staff | dsherwood@ticotimes.net
After months tracking the route of last night's gallo pinto from toilet to sea, the Health Ministry issued sanitary orders to 65 businesses in Tamarindo and closed 11 others, demanding immediate action to clean up the Pacific coast town's sewage problem.
The move – which pointed the finger at more than half the hotels and restaurants inspected by the ministry – outraged some but calmed others who believed it long overdue.
In August, the National Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) discovered dangerous levels of fecal contamination along Tamarindo's beaches.
The results were shelved for weeks until the national press prompted the Health Ministry to take action.
“We are happy to see there has been progress,” said Federico Amador, president of the Tamarindo Improvement Association, which has helped support the ministry efforts. “But we still have serious problems.”
Tamarindo, idealized in the movie “Endless Summer” for its tanned surfers and velvety waves, lacks both zoning and a sewage treatment plant.
The Health Ministry report cited a wide range of violations – from tubes spewing sewage directly onto the street or the stream out back, to businesses operating without licenses or any sewage treatment at all.
“There have been a huge amount of irregularities detected,” said Amador.
There has been some good news too.
Recent tests conducted by accredited labs and the University of Costa Rica showed waters had cleaned up significantly since August – to the point where they were once again safe for swimming.
It's a welcome relief, said Amador, as snowbirds from Europe and North America flock to the town, now considered by the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT) to be the country's third most-popular tourist destination.
Health Ministry officials acknowledge some improvement was inevitable with the onset of the December-May dry season, but believe baby steps taken over the past few months have helped too.
Despite a more positive outlook, the beach's Blue Flag, signifying clean ocean water, which was revoked in November, will remain revoked for now, said Amador.
“We won't reapply until we're sure we deserve it,” he said. “We want to resolve the underlying issues, not look for quick fixes.”
During the rainy season, the water table rises, flooding leach fields and septic tanks, and eventually, re-routing sewage into the ocean.
Amador said a full year will be necessary before the town can ensure the problem has been resolved.
“We'll have to wait and see,” said Amador. “We understand that this process takes time.”
The Health Ministry's methodical approach began in October and included the distribution of a questionnaire asking building owners to identify the age and status of their own sewage treatment facilities or septic tanks.
After that, weeks of inspections, further tests and mapping allowed officials to identify chief offenders, according to Dr. Juan Luis Sánchez, director of the ministry's Santa Cruz regional office.
This newest round of sanitary orders – which demand property owners take action to remedy faulty sewage systems – and closures are the result.
Concerned residents, as well as the Health Ministry, have called for the construction of town sewage treatment plant.
“We are taking the right steps, but we have to keep pushing for more,” Amador said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
