Costa Rica News – We at the Costa Rican Times continually talk about the fact that the Costa Rican government has all but given up on actually protecting it’s environment and more specifically the incredible sea turtles that nest on the shores of the land of “Pura Vida.”
The truth about the government implementing control methods to make sure that the sea turtles are protected can be 
seen in multiple scenarios that have occurred recently in Costa Rica.
1. Jairo Mora’s death has been pinned on some local thugs, which may or may not be true but still has not addressed the problem of the relationship between drug trafficking and the sea turtle egg trade.
2. A national park volunteer was stabbed in the groin last week for trying to stop a would be poacher. The local authorities let the culprit go instead of processing him correctly.
3. The change in the new slogan for Costa Rica’s tourism from the “No Artificial Ingredients” slogan which was use to promote the “green” image of Costa Rica to “Essential Costa Rica” which aims to highlight the virtues of Costa Rican culture, including the “authenticity and entrepreneurship”. In one $650,000 gesture the government of Costa Rica has basically said we have no desire to address the problems at hand and would rather just start promoting something different. Too bad considering Costa Rica has got to be one of the hardest places for an entrepreneur to start a business…..at least one where employees are required. The environmental protection farce has been uncovered o now they will try to lie again. But its what all governments do…….
However with all that being said there are some private groups that have taken this serious problem into their own hands as relying on the Costa Rican government to do anything is a futile task.
Volunteers released 59 new born turtles on Montezuma beach over the weekend. This was not a government organization doing this, it was the Association of Volunteers for Service at Protected Areas (or ASVO), its Spanish acronym). This group started active conservation efforts at national parks, beaches and communities in Costa Rica.
ASVO is a non-governmental, self-managed non-profit organization.
Biologist Mary Galbarro was accompanied by five volunteers to help the 59 infants reach the sea.
They began to release them 8 meters from the water in order for them to come back one day to nest themselves. One by one, the hatchlings walked on the sand, and followed their instinct to go into the ocean.
Sara Ousley is American and that this was her first day as a volunteer for ASVO. “It was beautiful to see the birth of the baby turtles and how they gained strength. At night go on patrol to try to save more nests, “said Ousley.
The patrols are conducted by walking three to four hours on the mile long beach. They usually make about four trips per night.
Besides the Olive Ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys olivacea ), the Leatherback ( Dermochelys coriacea ), Black ( Chelonia agassizii ) and Hawksbill ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) turtles also come to this beach.
Sea turtle egg poaching problem is going to have to be addressed by local private groups as the CR government does not care about things where they do not see the ROI on it’s efforts. That or it is more lucrative to allow the drug cartels to continue trafficking in between its borders.
Whatever the reason, there will come a time where these volunteers start arming themselves…..the question is when the first drug trafficking low life stealing eggs pulls a knife and the volunteer pulls a gun and shoots him or her, what side will Costa Rica and its legal system fall on?
1 comment
You are correct but who will protect them?? If Costa Rica does not care about other Costa Ricans they damn shire will not care about others!