(San José, Costa Rica-August 5, 2010).  Aerial applications of a powerful poison inside the Caletas-Arío National Wildlife Refuge, Guanacaste on July 20th and 31st by the farming company Agropecuario Caletas S.A. have lead to widespread fish kills.  The chemical applications also threaten one of Costa Rica’s most productive turtle nesting beaches where 4 species, including the critically endangered leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), lay their eggs and pose serious health risks to sea turtle volunteers living in the refuge. 

Ana's video of the poison application and fish kills

The poison application on July 20 began at around 7:00 am, and lasted for about an hour and a half.  During this time a small airplane, or “crop duster”, made repeated trips above the refuge’s wetland and adjacent agricultural fields, releasing a white cloud of chemicals. 

The poison was then picked up by the morning offshore breeze and blown into Pretoma’s volunteer camp and onto the beach.  “There was a strong poison smell and most of the volunteers ran to get t-shirts to cover their noses and mouths” said Costa Rican Ana Ventura Pozuelo, the project’s coordinator.  The next morning the camp’s volunteers awoke to find the beach at the mouth of the Rio Bongo littered with dying fish (some up to a meter long), crabs, and shrimp.  Ana and the rest of the volunteers, the majority of whom are biologists, immediately took pictures and water and tissue samples of the animals.  They also noted how vultures and crocodiles were feasting on the carrion, thus ingesting the poison themselves.

Ana and her team then called the Costa Rican Environmental Ministry (MINAET) and told officials about the poisoning.  MINAET employees arrived a few days later to investigate but promptly told the volunteers that turtle volunteers were not accredited in Costa Rica to take biological samples.  Officials also warned the team of sea turtle biologists that another spraying was scheduled and that the volunteers would be notified of the exact date and time. 

Concerned about the health risks of another poison application, volunteers continually called Minaet but received no more information before the second application on the morning of the 31st.  “We were worried about the chemicals because we didn’t know what it was, only that it was probably harmful to humans because of the way it killed other animals in only a day,” said a concerned and disappointed Ana.  “We called MINAET many times to obtain information on the next spraying, but never got an answer.” 
 
Ana was able to take some video of the second spraying and in her shots one can see the poison application and the lingering white cloud.  Agropecuario Caletas’ systematic destruction of the Caletas-Arío Refuge has been happening for 4 years.  The company’s first strides we to construct barbwire fences inside the refuge to block public access.  The company then brought in backhoes and tractors and began plowing, draining, and burning the wetland and surrounding brush to make way for planting fields.  To date, its efforts have successfully damaged the wetland to a point where very little water is left to support migrating populations of birds and other animals.  Pictures from August 2008 show tractors driving through the water and sucking the life out of the habitat.  Ana’s pictures and video from last month reveal no water.

The refuge and wetland in August, 2008 (picture: Ingrid Rojas)

In response to the environmental atrocities, Pretoma filed sute against Agropecuaria Caletas S.A at the Environmental Tribune of the MINAET.  In 2009 the Tribune not only ordered the company to pay US$24,000 in environmental damages, but also ordered the damages to be repaired.  But Agropecuario Caletas scoffed at this slap-on-the-wrist, never paid the fine, and has since gone about with its plan to destroy the refuge and harass Pretoma volunteers, spraying them with poison if necessary.

Pretoma sea turtle conservation volunteers are a mix of Costa Ricans and international travelers who support the economy of small coastal towns and villages by paying money to protect the region’s beaches.  Now, they are being sprayed by poisons by a company that turns up its nose to court rulings and environmental laws.  Some of these volunteers have left the project because of the health risks and will take home the message that sea turtle volunteering poses serious health risks in Costa Rica.  As for Ana, she was asked by her family to return early to San José.

“This is the message that Costa Rican’s want to send potential tourists and biologists who are thinking about visiting this country,” asked a disappointed Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma.  “There are laws that protect wetlands and public health in Costa Rica, but Agropecuaria Caletas S.A. disregards them all, and no official entity seems to be able to stop them”.
 
Curious Note:  Agropecuaria Caletas S.A. is owned by Sylvestre Feichtinger, a US-Austrian Citizen, who also happens to own and operate the “eco lodge” Casa Caletas located nearby the wetlands of the Caletas-Arío Wildlife Refuge.  Ironically, he sells the natural surroundings as the main attraction.

For more information:

Pretoma
Tel (506) 2241 5227
Fax (506) 2236 6017
email: andy@pretoma.org

According to freed slaves from a Taiwanese Shark finning Vessel

Pretoma invites you to read the press article published in this week edition of The Tico Times, Freed Asian Sailors Talk

Randall Arauz, President and founder of Pretoma (Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas) was announced as a 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize winner today in San Francisco, California.  The award recognizes his tireless work to draw international attention to the inhumane and environmentally catastrophic shark finning industry, and his unrelenting campaign to halt the practice in Costa Rica.

“Shark finning is not only cruel; it is irresponsible and unsustainable fishing at its highest degree” said Arauz during the filming of the award video detailing his work. “In spite of this, it has been close to impossible to attain any international binding management and conservation measures to curtail this practice.”

Announced every April to coincide with Earth Day, the Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots environmental heroes from the six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk.

Watch Randall Arauz’s Goldman Award video detailing his work in Costa Rica.

Photo: Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are very close to being listed under Appendix II of CITES during the Conference of the Parties (CoP 15), held in Doha, Qatar.  Even though the proposal submitted by the United States and Palau Islands to regulate the international commerce of hammerhead shark products enjoyed the support of the majority of the Parties (75 in favor, 45 against, 14 abstentions), it was not enough to reach the mandatory 2/3 majority.

Many Latin American countries supported the proposal, such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Honduras, as well as other countries from the rest of the world, such as the European Union, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Australia, among others.  Unfortunately, an opposing minority, led by China and Japan, the former being the main global shark fin consuming nation and the later the greatest opponent to the protection of any species under this convention, successfully blocked the proposal.  Among the opposing parties in Latin America outstand Guatemala and Venezuela, while Mexico abstained.  Other opposing countries include Indonesia, Senegal, and Singapur.

Fortunately, there may still be hope for the hammerhead shark.  The possibility exists that the vote may be opened again during the Plenary Session of the Convention during the morning of Thursday, March 25.  Since it was such a close vote, a change of position of only a few countries could make the difference.  Thus, we call on the countries that voted against the proposal, like Guatemala, or Mexico that abstained, to reconsider their position and vote “YES”, so that hammerhead sharks may receive the international protection they deserve.

(March 8, 2010 – San José, Costa Rica).

The Comptrollership Court of Costa Rica criticized the poor performance of the Ministry of Environment (MINAET), regarding the process to consolidate Las Baulas National Park, through a report issue last February 26 (DFOE-PGAA-IF-3-2010).  For the Comptrollership, this matter is of great importance, due to the importance of this National Park, created to protect the most important remaining nesting site for leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Eastern Pacific.

The report points out strong weaknesses in the geographic delimitation of the Park’s boundaries, as well as inconsistencies in the expropriation process of the lands, specifically the appraisal, where in a brief period of 11 months, prices were raised up to 6,037%.  It also criticizes the fact that MINAET didn’t’ even react to this variation in prices, even though the State must assume the cost.  The Comptrollership warns that the project to reduce the Park’s limits will not solve the problem nor the threats to the leatherbacks, and would translate into irreversible environmental damage.

The Minister of Environment, Jorge Rodríguez, dismissed the criticism, and announce that he already filed a request to revoke the orders of the report.

“Although the position of the Minister of Environment is very disappointing, we aren’t surprised”, said Randall Arauz, of Pretoma, a Costa Rican NGO that defends the process to consolidate Las Baulas National Park.  “In spite of the orders of the Constitutional Court, the General Attorney and now the Comptrollership, as well as the opinion of the Defender of the Inhabitants, tens of thousands of Costa Rican, and the main national and international conservation NGOs, the heads of the Presidency and the MINAET insist in favoring the private interest and promoting the urban development of Las Baulas National Park.

(March 18, 2010 – San José, Costa Rica)

Las March 4, the Ministry of Environment of Costa Rica announced during a press conference that the country would support a proposal to list hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).  The proposal, which would allow for controls over the international trade of products from this species, including its fins, will be voted during the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (CoP15), to be celebrated in Doha, Qatar, from March 13-25 of the current year.

“I would like to congratulate the authorities of the MINAET and of Foreign Affairs, for the leadership our country has shown in different international forums in favor of the protection and management of sharks”, said Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma.  Arauz used the event to personally present the Minister of Environment Jorge Rodríguez, with a compilation of more than 2000 signatures of Costa Rican citizens supporting the protection of hammerhead sharks in CITES, as a result of the campaign “2000 Ticos for the Hammerhead Shark”.

“It is very encouraging to see the degree of commitment of the Costa Rican people with the global protection of shark”, said Minister Rodríguez, when he received the document.  “These signatures will travel to Qatar, and I will request that they be mentioned during the official interventions of Costa Rica on the matter”, affirmed the Minister.

MINAET also confirmed that Costa Rica will also support the oceanic white tip (Carcharhinus longimanus) proposal, common in region, as well as the porbeagle (Lamna nasus), the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), and the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) proposals, which don’t occur in the region, but the country considers it is important to regulate their international commerce.

Last Wednesday February 17, over 100 activists sang “Happy Birthday” to the Judges of Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice, to celebrate the 3rd year of waiting for a resolution that could finally put an end to shark finning in Costa Rica.

Since January of 2006, the Constitutional Court of the Supreme Court of Justice, ruled in favor of a Constitutional Lawsuit filed by Pretoma (04-001511-0007-CO), in which the use of public infrastructure is ordered for the landing of fishery products by the foreign shark finning fleet. In February of 2007, a year later, Pretoma filed a contempt suit against the Ministry of Public Transportations, Incopesca, Customs, and Ministry of Environment, because the authorities had ignored the orders of the Constitutional Court. Three years later, the Costa Rican people are still waiting for a resolution, while the foreign fleet continues to carelessly land sharks and fins in the privacy of their docks.

“With this event, the citizens want to remind the Judges that we are still waiting for a resolution on our law suit, because as long as the private docks in Puntarenas continue breaking the law, there will be shark finning in Costa Rica”, warned Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma. “Three years waiting for a resolution is just too much, and sharks can no longer take the indiscriminate fishing pressure they are under, with the blessing of our authorities”, complained Arauz.

As of now, the Costa Rican Congress (Expediente 18.890), the Comptrollership (DFOE-PGA-86/2006) and the Defender of the Inhabitants (Boletin 2, Dic 2006), have seconded the order of the Supreme Court of Justice, but the defendants continue to defend the interests of the foreign owners of the private docks in Puntarenas. In an effort to legitimize their actions, the defendants have issued resolutions that have been shot down over and over again by the Courts. Now, the defendants rely on the “Rules to authorize the landing of fishery products by national and foreign vessels (A.J.D.I.P /042-2009), which allows the use of private docks by foreign fleets if the foreign owners allow access to public functionaries. However, under this scenario, it is impossible to defend the public interest, because it is impossible to abide by public administration laws as private property is protected by the Constitution. Pretoma filed yet another constitutional lawsuit against the new rules, and is waiting for a resolution.

Current policies designed to cater to foreign sport fishing interests, say artisanal fishermen

After being stood-up for the second time by officials of the Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute, 125 artisanal fishermen of the Golfo Dulce decided to take matters into their own hands yesterday and held a peaceful protest at Incopesca’s office in the Southern Pacific port of Golfito.  The fishermen wish to discuss their concerns regarding the management of fisheries in the Golfo Dulce, and their concerns over the under recognition of their rights.

Artisinal fishermen have been calling upon the Board of Directors of Incopesca to review the policies surround the management of fisheries in the Golfo Dulce, an area recently declared a “Responsible Fisheries Community Area” by Incopesca last August 17 (La Gaceta #159).  At first, the project was presented as an attempt to improve fisheries management of the Golfo Ducle.  In order to gain public support, the authorities called for the banning of shrimp trawling and gillnetting in the Golfo Dulce, while private funds would be used to buy out the shrimp trawl fleet and economically compensate gillnetters while they were trai
ned in more sustainable fishing techniques.  The private funds to do this were generously offered by the BillFish Foundation (www.billfish.org).  However, after the declaration of the Responsible Fisheries Area, the local artisanal fishermen feel they have been deceived, and recently submitted a demand to the Board of Incopesca to nullify the Responsible Fisheries Area.

Sure enough, an undisclosed amount of private funds (up in the millions of US Dollars) was used to compensate the shrimp trawlers NOT to fish in the Golfo, but no funds were destined to compensating the artisanal fishermen.  Furthermore, stripped of gillnetting arts, local fishermen are only allowed to use traps, which have never been tested in the Golfo Dulce before, nor have fishermen been trained on their use.  To make matters worse, artisanal fishermen will only be allowed to operate in the Golfo Dulce 3 months of the year, while the rest of the year they must operate within 30 miles of the coast.  Finally, the catch and use of live bait is forbidden, except for the sports fishing industry.  The fishermen believe that their underrepresentation by the one organization that is supposed to represent them, comes from a conflict of interest involving the Billfish Foundation’s representive in Golfito, Miguel Duran. Duran is currently enjoying a 6 month leave of absence from his official post as head of Incopesca in Golfito.

“We are totally in favor of fishing restrictions and responsible fisheries practices”, said a determined Victor Rocha, President of the Golfito Fishery Sector Civilian Front.  “However, what Incopesca is doing is catering to the private interests of the sport fishing industry and the shrimp trawl industry, basing management on capricious policies that have no technical content, which only seek to eliminate the artisanal fishery sector for good and consolidate a Sport Fishing Reserve in the Golfo Dulce”.

After an hour of protesting, Incopesca promised that yet another meeting would be held, this time on Saturday in Puntarenas.  Golfito’s mayor, Jimmy Cubillo, promised to pay for the fishermen’s bus fair to Puntarenas and assured them that they would be attended by Incopesca officials even though Incopesca does not receive the public on Saturdays.

Stay tuned for more developments.

(November 24, 2009 – San José, Costa Rica)
Veronica Dabul of Argentina has won the innagural “Shark Hunt” charity poker tournament held at the Paradisus Resort in Playa Conchal Costa Rica. The tournament raised over $38,000 towards shark conservation efforts in Costa Rica, as well as opened the eyes of its 161 registered players to the threats that sharks face and the various ways they can help protect these magnificent animals.

Dabul, a professional poker with Team PokerStar.net, was not involved in shark conservation initiatives before the tournament. Neither were most of the players, who didn’t understand the global plight that sharks face, nor that they could somehow make a difference. This was soon to change.

The players, in town for the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) tournament, the first event of its 3rd season, were invited by Humberto “the Shark” Brenes, a Costa Rican professional poker player, to enter the charity tournament prior to the LAPT’s main event. Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma, the Costa Rican shark conservation NGO to be benefited by the charity tournament, spoke during the opening ceremony, thanked the players for their kind support, and explained where the funds go. While at the tables, the players learned about shark finning, and how some fishermen catch sharks and brutally severe their fins to fuel the billion dollar a year shark fin soup market. Because shark meat is for the most part inedible, finned sharks are thrown back into the ocean and left to die.

“The tournament was really well organized and a lot of fun”, said Dabul. “Apart from it always being special to win, I want to contribute more to this incredible cause in my own country, and I’m already thinking about how to do it.”

This year’s charity tournament featured players who donated 50 dollars to enter the tournament and included an option for them to donate more and re-enter the game if they lost. As the winner of the tournament, Dabul received an all expense paid package to Viña del Mar, Chile, the site of another LAPT event in 2011. The amount raised was then matched by Brenes and in turn matched by the LAPT’s organizer PokerStars.net.

Two years ago Brenes threw his support behind Pretoma’s mission to protect shark populations. Today, his stature as the leading shark philanthropist in the poker community is undeniable. Humberto Brenes and PokerStars.net are part of Pretoma’s corporate membership program, an initiative that brings together local businesses from different sectors in the hope that they will become more aware of the growing need to protect Costa Rica’s and ultimately the planet’s natural resources.

Hundreds of children from several schools around San José are educating their families and community members about sea turtles, and at the same time raising money through the sale of turtle stickers to support projects that protect these animals.  The children are part of the “Save the Marine Turtles” campaign sponsored by Mamá Activa – a group of mothers with children ages 0 to 12 – and the Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas (Pretoma).  By selling stickers that cost five hundred colones, the little protagonists learn to protect these animals, while at the same time collecting funding to be invested in sea turtle conservation projects.

Mamá Activa approached Pretoma earlier this year with the idea to collaborate in an environmental education program for children.  Members from both organizations held interactive workshops in schools, teaching children about the different types of marine turtles that nest on Costa Rica’s beaches, about the threats they face, and how the kids can help protect these animals.  Students were then given stickers with a baby turtle on them and asked to talk to friends and family members about what they had learned.  Moms and dads, neighbors, and many others then collaborated by donating five hundred colones to the program with each sticker they purchased from the children.

“We have problems with the turtles, there are bad people who steal the turtles, their eggs, and meat, and they eat it, and we should never eat it again,” said four year old Felipe Sánchez from the pre-kindergarten of the San Clare College in a YouTube Video.  “We shouldn’t build houses or hotels, not even put lights because if we do, the turtles will loose their place to go back to the ocean”, added the little conservationist. Through this video, Felipe managed to sell 100 stickers.

The educational centers were another important element in the program’s success. The West College, as well as Blue Valles and Saint Clare collaborated in very proactive ways.  “Every day children are increasingly interested in conserving and protecting the environment, and working with these schools has been a wonderful experience,” said Alexia Garro from Pretoma’s Corporate Membership Program.  “They are like sponges,” she continued, “they understood everything and have become excellent spokespeople for the turtles.”

Over six hundred children participated in the educational workshops, and they managed to sell more than a thousand stickers.  The money raised will go toward the funding of sea turtle projects managed by Pretoma.

Marine turtles are constantly threatened by the commercialization of their eggs, light pollution on their nesting beaches, by the sale of tortoiseshell products, and by commercial fisheries.  If you would like to participate in this campaign please contact Alexia Garro at her email address membresias@pretoma.org or call 2241-52-27.  For more information on Mamá Activa please visit their website at mamactiva.com.