The coral reefs of Ballena Marine National Park, the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve and Corcovado National Park have the highest diversity of coral and sea fan species off of Costa Rica's Pacific coast. In general, the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA), with 17 protected areas between Playa Dominical and Punta Burica and a surface area of 85 square miles, is one of Costa Rica's most biologically diverse zones. This area boasts 30 percent of the world's whale and dolphin species, and the coasts of the southern Pacific region have concentrations of the nation's richest fisheries.
But despite this great natural wealth and the emergence of sustainable economic activities, such as whole and dolphin watching and regulated diving, some activities are speeding the deterioration of the coastal and marine ecosystems. These practices include uncontrolled urban development, the construction of poorly planned highways and roads, and environmentally destructive fishing practices such as shrimp trawling and fishing with explosives.
Since October 2008, ACOSA has been working with the National Coast Guard Service and the MarViva Foundation to develop strategies that will ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the resources found in the protected areas of the southern Pacific. They are working on the protection and consolidation of the existing protected marine areas and, where necessary, on the expansion and creation of new areas.
Permanent patrols in the area use vessels equipped with the latest technology. According to Captain Bernardo Alvaro-do, the guard service has two large boots and three small vessels for the patrol work. And even though this operation began only recently, their mere presence has instilled respect in the illegal fishers, who traditionally fished species such as snapper, tuna and shark within the boundaries of the protected areas.
What's more, workshops now give park guards and members of the National Coast Guard Service legal training. They also provide instruction for judges and prosecutors who pursue charges against violators found during patrols and assist efforts to expand and consolidate protected marine areas.
As part of the initiative, communication strategies and informative materials are also developed for key players — including local authorities, local governments, communities, the press and other organizations—to promote the protection and sustainable use of marine resources. Work is also ongoing in the areas of fishery resource management, community education and the incorporation of science into efforts to create, design and manage protected marine areas.
According to MarViva Regional Director Jorge Jiménez, they are not conserving just to conserve—they are also identifying economic options for area residents that will hele reduce pressure on coastal and marine resources and improve the residents' quality of life. One example is the creation of "community credit enterprises" as a means of promoting sustainable production initiatives that are profitable and allow the local population to start their own projects.
*Courtesy of Nature Landing's Magazine
