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Las comunidades locales y los Guardacostas de Golfitodenuncian alta mortalidad de tortugas marinas durante los últimos días, las cuales se cuentan por centenares, en las playas de Pavones y Punta Banco. Además, la Autoridad de Recursos Acuáticos de Panamá (ARAP) reporta tortugas muertas en el Golfo de Chiriquí.

Tortuga marina anzuelada en la Playa de Punta Banco.
19 de enero del 2013 (Clyde Aspinall)

Según Alanna Aspinall Nuñez (ced. 111610772) y su familia, vecinos de Punta Banco, durante los últimos diez días se han podido observar decenas de barcos palangreros dentro del Golfo Dulce y en las inmediaciones. Jason Borner (ced. 112400138418) y su esposa Tanya Harrison, también vecinos de la zona, confirman estos acontecimientos e inclusive pudieron fotografiar un total de 13 tortugas muertas en apenas 20 minutos. Según los testimonios de estos vecinos, muchas son tortugas verdes (Chelonia mydas), que utilizan el área del golfo dulce para alimentarse y aparearse. Muchas de estas tortugas han aparecido con anzuelos en sus mandíbulas y en sus aletas, indicio claro de que la interacción con la pesca ha sido la causa de la muerte, y no a causa de una bacteria como se ha dado ha entender recientemente a la opinión pública.

“Durante el día 22 de enero, enviamos una embarcación con científicos a la zona, recogieron 5 cuerpos frescos todos de tortugas verdes y dos tortugas vivas, al menos una anzuelada. Las necropsias realizadas no han mostrado infecciones en los órganos, u otros indicios que relacionen la muerte con bacterias.” indicó Didhier Chacón, biólogo de la Asociación Widecast. “La presencia de peces comiendo los cuerpos en descomposición también comprueba la ausencia de toxinas en el agua como las presentes en la Marea Roja. Sin duda alguna las pruebas no descartan la pesca incidental como razón primaria de la muerte.” argumentó Chacón.

Barcos palangreros frente a Punta Banco.
19 de enero del 2013 (Clyde Aspinall)

“El pez dorado es una especie comercialmente muy importante para la pesquería costarricense, siendo durante estos meses la temporada cuando se captura en su mayor volumen”, declaró Randall Arauz, biólogo de la Asociación Pretoma, “pero, un hábitat tan importante para las tortugas como la zona del Golfo Dulce y Punta Burica debería estar sujeto a más planes de manejo pesquero más estrictos para evitar el alto índice de mortalidad debido a la interacción con las pesquerías como el palangre”, sentenció Arauz.

Luis Diego Marín, coordinador de Preserve Planet indicó; “nuevamente queda en evidencia el gravísimo daño ambiental que sufren nuestros mares por culpa de pescadores inconscientes.  En esta ocasión, la ciudadanía lo puede corroborar al ver esa enorme cantidad de cadáveres de tortugas en la playa”.

Para más información:

Didhier Chacón, Asociación Widecast.

Tel: 2236-0947 / Email: dchacón@widecast.org

Randall Arauz, Asociación Pretoma

Tel: 2241-5227 / rarauz@pretoma.org

Luís Diego Marín, Preserve Plante

Tel: 8821-7996 / luisdiego@preserveplanet.org

Mauricio González, recently appointed directive at Incopesca, has ties with the sea ships Franju II and III which were spotted several times invading the Cocos Island National Park sea area.

January 9, 2012 –San José, Costa Rica

The immediate intervention of Incopesca and the destitution of its Board of Directors, is the recommendation of (The Front for Our Seas), delivered today through a letter addressed to Costa Rica’s President Laura Chinchilla and the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Gloria Abraham.

The recommendation is based on the latest political developments taking place in the bosom of Incopesca, which demonstrates that fisheries policies are still a long way from real change, in spite of the positive marine conservation actions taken by the Executive Branch over the last two years.

Among the positive actions, the Front For Our Seas highlights the closure of private docks to foreign fleets, the creation of the Sea Mounts Marine Management Area, the inclusion of hammerhead sharks in Appendix II of CITES, the destitution of Incopesca’s Vicepresident due to an inherent conflict of interests, and the recent issue of the Comptrollership´s Report (DFOE-EC-IF-14-2012) (Government Accountability Office) which exposed a number of anomalies surrounding the definition of national fisheries policies.

The Front for Our Seas complains nonetheless, that the elaboration of the National Fisheries Development Plan, soon to be published, was performed by two well known consultants, both of whom since 2003 have vehemently defended Incopesca’s policies related to the use of private docks by foreign fleets, the use of shark finning control systems that allows the separation of the fins from the body, and the use of the Association of Biologists to oversee illegal foreign fleet landings at private docks. Furthermore, the Front denounced the recent appointment of fishing entrepreneur Mauricio Gonzalez as a Board Member of Incopesca, who also happens to be responsible for three longline vessels, which together accumulate over 40 reports for invading the protected waters of Cocos Island National Park.

Finally, the Front for Our Seas reminded the President and the Minister that an intervention of the institution is technically justified, based on the Reports issued by the Presidential Commission on Marine Governance and the Comprtollership of the Republic, which exposed the need to reform the institution and the lack of technical considerations when granting licenses.

“We’ve had to resort once and again to the Courts, the Legislative Assembly, the Attorney General, the Ombudsman and the Comprtollership of the Republic, just to change the capricious policies established by these consultants, whom for years simply decided to ignore the best scientific information and national legislation” clarified Randall Arauz of Pretoma, a member organization of the Front For Our Seas. “I don’t see why it would be any different now, we will have to wait for the publication of their Plan”, warned Arauz.

“The appointment of Mauricio González as a Board member of Incopesca is proof of the tremendous forces that are resisting the efforts of the Government of Laura Chinchilla to fully develop the Blue Agenda, and we are even more worried that the Minister of Agriculture seems to not mind much about these appointments” explained Andrés Jiménez, Coordinator of the Front For Our Seas, “An intervention of Incopesca would give the necessary means to the President to clear the path of the stale private interests that have ruled this institution up to this very day.” sentenced Jiménez.

“The time has come to define the political reforms needed for Incopesca to finally ensure the protection of the public interest” announced Leonora Jiménez, spokeswoman of the Front For Our Seas. . “I call on all Costa Ricans to support an immediate intervention of Incopesca, as marine resources belong to all of us, ” said Jiménez..

The Front For our Seas is a group of organizations of the civil society that works to improve the administration of marine resources through a series of legal, scientific, political, and advocacy approaches, that lead to an improved management of marine resources. It promotes the reform of Incopesca in such a way that it responds to the objectives for which the institution was created: the protection of the public interest and the sustainable use of fishery resources.

The eight organizations, Pretoma, Fundación Keto, Fundación Promar, International Student Volunteers Inc., Sea Save Foundation, The Leatherback Trust, UESPRA, Widecast, as well as interested citizens who integrate the Front For Our Seas, enjoy ample experience on environmental education, research, conservation and defense of the environment.

For more information:

Andrés Jiménez: andresjmo@gmail.com, celular: 8831 3373

Randall Arauz: rarauz@pretoma.org, celular: 8344 3711

Dear Friends,

Give a a special gift this Christmas.  Adopt a sea turtle, and give it to one of your loved ones.  With this magnificent gift you will also help the conservation of these wonderful animals, through Pretoma.

All adoptions include two pictures, a sea turtle hand-made necklace and a certificate with the information of the adopted sea turtle.

For a reasonable amount, you can help sponsor our sea turtle monitoring and migration research, essential to establish efficient conservation measures.

For only US$50 you can adopt a sea turtle we tagged with external metal tags on its fore flippers whilst monitoring nesting activity in any of the 5 beaches that Pretoma protects with local community members (Corozalito, Bejuco, San Miguel, Costa de Oro and Caletas).

If you want to help more…

For US$500 you can adopt a sea turtle tagged with an acoustic transmitter during our in-water monitoring projects, either in Cocos Island National Park or Punta Coyote, in Guanacaste.

For US$ 2500 you can adopt a sea turtle tagged with satellite transmitter, and follow its real-time movements online.

You can now follow @PretomaCR in Twitter to get the latest news, press releases and announcements.

Tags: pretoma, twitter

Pronunciamiento de la Asamblea de Escuela de Biología y del Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), sobre el Proyecto de la Marina Cocodrilo Bay en Puerto Jiménez, Península de Osa

La Escuela de Biología y el Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, CIMAR, de la Universidad de Costa Rica, como instituciones académicas que han generado información científica en apoyo a la conservación de los ambientes naturales de nuestro país, advierten del peligro que para los recursos marinos y costeros significa el desarrollo de proyectos de grandes marinas en el Golfo Dulce, particularmente ante el anuncio de la construcción del proyecto Cocodrilo Bay en Puerto Jiménez, en la Península de Osa.

Leer más…

Magistrados rechazan coadyuvancia de representantes del sector camaronero de arrastre

Ayer 13 de noviembre la Sala Constitucional aceptó oficialmente el escrito presentado por la Diputada Doña Mª Eugenia Venegas en su condición de Diputada de la Asamblea Legislativa, así como los presentados por 15 organizaciones de pescadores artesanales del Pacífico de Costa Rica, que solicitan ser coadyuvantes de la Acción de Inconstitucionalidad, que se tramita bajo el expediente (12-010016-0007-CO) y que pide prohibir de manera inmediata la pesca de camarón por arrastre.

Las coadyuvancias de la diputada y los pescadores artesanales se basan en su interés legítimo para que se resuelva la acción, debido a que la pesca camaronera de arrastre atenta contra la sostenibilidad de los recursos marinos,  así como pescar deslealmente las poblaciones de peces de los que dependen los pescadores artesanales.

A su vez, en la misma resolución, la Sala rechaza la coadyuvancia presentada por representantes del sector semi-industrial camaronero de arrastre, la cual apoyaba la defensa del Incopesca, entidad que junto a Setena enfrenta dicha acción de inconstitucionalidad.

Pretoma hereby wishes to express its sincere thanks to each one of you, whom at one time or another, for over a year, supported the campaign “Shark Fin Imports…Is Shark Finning.”

Hacked off shark fins onboard a fishing vessel

With the signing of the decree “Ban on Shark Finning, importation and transportation, and transfer and possession of fins on board any vessel inside territorial waters”, last October 10 by President Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica gave a major step against shark fining on the region.

More than 10000 Costa Rican citizens as well as citizens from many other countries, including Taiwan (more than 2000), Germany, USA, UK, and Mexico, among others, signed a petition addressed to President Chinchilla in support of our campaign.

THANKS.

We still have some reserves regarding the shark fin importation ban, but we will refer to this in detail after the decree is officially published in the Daily Gazette, and while we’re at it we’ll direct your attention towards the new activities that must be undertaken to influence shark conservation policy in the region. For right now, let´s celebrate this victory.

Besides the Ministry of Environment and President Laura Chinchilla, Pretoma would like to extend a special thanks to all the people and entities who were directly involved or who exerted their influence for this Decree to become a reality. We would like to include a list with the names of each and every one of you who somehow showed your support, but of course, it´s impossible.

Deputies of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica:

Ma. Eugenia Venegas (PAC)

Rodolfo Sotomayor (PUSC)

Victor Emilio Granados (PASE)

Luis Fishman (PUSC)

Jorge Gamboa Corrales (PAC)

Manrique Oviedo (PAC)

Carmen Granados (PAC)

José María Villalta (FA)

Public Figures:

Exdeputy Oscar Lopez (PASE)

José María Figures Olsen (Presidential candidate)

Sir Richard Branson

Showbiz

Bambui

The Electric Creatures

Dugandul

Baula Project

Student Federations and Associations

Federación de Estudiantes Universidad de Costa Rica, (Feucr)

Federación de Estudiantes Universidad Nacional Costa Rica (Feuna)

Federación de Estudiantes Instituto Tecnológico (Feitec)

Asociación de Estudiantas de Biología de la UCR

Asociación de estudiantes de Biología de la UNA

Colaboradores internacionales:

Shannon Lee

Katrien Vandevelde

Leopold D

Citizen Proposal:

Vía Costarricense

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — World leader in environmental conservation, Costa Rica has banned the import and export of uncertified shark fins in a bold new move that it hopes catches on across Central America, a region haunted by a destructive fishing practice.

For years, marine life advocates on the Latin American isthmus have waged war against shark finning, the wasteful practice of lopping off shark fins at sea and hurling the body overboard in order to save space in cargo holds for the high-priced appendages.

Now backed by presidents and billionaires, environmentalists hope this latest pro-shark step drives the decades-old battle into the political limelight.

“We will not tolerate shark finning,” Costa Rican Environment Minister Rene Castro told journalists last week. “Zero tolerance.”

Some 400,000 sharks were slaughtered at sea in Costa Rica last year for their fins, Castro said. Most of the product is shipped to Asian countries where consumers pay a premium for the flippers in order to make traditional dishes such as shark fin soup.

Read the complete article here.

(October 9, 2012 – San Jose Costa Rica)

Yesterday, the Association of Fishermen of Puerto Coyote (Aspepuco) and the Association of Fishermen of Bejuco (Asobejuco), both domiciled in Nandayure, Costa Rica, presented before the Constitutional Chamber a third party action for the unconstitutionality law suit that aims to declare the shrimp trawl fishery unconstitutional.

On 6 September 2012, the Constitutional Court accepted a constitutional law suit submitted by Frente por Nuestros Mares, an amalgam of national marine conservation organizations.

Aspepuco y Asobejuco are going through the process to obtain a sustainable fisheries certification form the Marine Steawardship Council

Shrimp trawling is widely acknowledged as one of the most predatory and destructive fishing practices, consisting of a net that sweeps the ocean floor, devastating everything in its path. Besides discarding from 6,000 to 9,000 metric tons of bycatch per year, the national fleet captures more than 7,500 sea turtles per year (considering that currently half of the fleet does not even operate). Moreover, due to shrimp overfishing, the trawl fleet now directs its effort toward snappers, in socioeconomic detriment of snapper fishermen who do use sustainable fishing methods.

“We have promoted sustainable fisheries in the two National Wildlife Refugesof the area, Camaronal and Caletas – Ario, in which shrimp trawling is prohibited” assured the artisanal fishermen of Asobejuco.” Unfortunately, shrimp trawlers catch many small snappers that haven’t had a chance to reproduce yet, compromising the resource, in an irresponsible and unsustainable practice,” argued the fishermen.

“They do not use turtle saving devices, nor do they respect the legal limitation to operate in Wildlife Refuges,” denounced the fishermen of Aspepuco. “The impact is huge in neighboring communities, who live of ecotourism and sustainable fisheries,” they said.

The Asobejuco and Aspepuco third party actions join those presented by Congresswoman Maria Eugenia Venegas (PAC) (link to her letter) and the ones presented by 180 fishermen and 13 fishing organizations of Puntarenas and Golfito, who also feel affected by the activities of the shrimp trawl industry:

• Asociación de Pescadores Artesanales de Puerto Pilón, Pavones (Asosinpap)

• Asociación de Pescadores y Piangüeros del Golfo Dulce
• Asociación de Pescadores de Pequeña Escala y Turística de Zancudo.
• Asociación de Pescadores Para el Desarrollo Sostenible de Puntarenas
• Asociación de Pescadores Artesanales Conservacionistas de la Isla Puntarenitas de Golfito
• Sindicato Industrial de Pescadores Artesanales, Criadores Acuícolas y Anexos de Puntarenas (SIPACAAP)
• Asociación Comité Local de Pescadores de Corozal de Jicaral de Puntarenas
• Asociación Pesquera Costera del Pacífico – Costa de Pájaros
• Asociación de Pescadores Pangueros Artesanales de Puntarenas (Asopaappu)
• Asociación Cámara de Pescadores Artesanales de Puntarenas
• Sindicato de la Unión de Pescadores Artesanales de Puntarenas
• Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Industria Pesquera (SITRAIPA).
• Asociación de Pescadores de San Juanillo

Para Más información:

Miguel Gómez, Pretoma, 2241 5227

Randall Arauz, 8344 3711