The business of turtle eggs in Ostional is legal, reasonable, and sustainable PDF Print E-mail
San José, Costa Rica. 02.17.2010. A chain of emails is circulating on the Internet with false information regarding the Conservation and Use of Ridley Sea Turtle Eggs Project (Lepidochels olivacea) at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Guanacaste. There are 12 photos of the legal gathering of eggs accompanied by text labeling it as “theft” and an “international shame.”

ICT Costa RicaThe Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) seeks to clarify that the images actually represent a model of sustainable development in the Ostional community, approved in 1990 by executive order N° 28203-MINAE-MAG, law N° 8325 of the Protection, Conservation, and Recovery of Sea Turtle populations enacted on November 28th, 2002 and by law N° 8436 of Fishing and Agriculture on April 25th, 2005.

The legal use and allotment of resources plan, far from being an embarrassment, is the pride of the country and has been applauded and recognized by national and international scientists.

Ostional Costa RicaThe Ostional National Wildlife Refuge witnesses up to 200,000 Olive Ridley turtles during the rainy season and about 15,000 in the dry season. Upon their arrival, the sea turtles lay thousands of eggs and destroy a large portion of them as they return to the ocean.

That’s why, under the sustainability development concept, the nearby rural areas are allowed to remove a specified amount for commercial purposes in Costa Rica under the Ostional Internal Development Association (ADIO in Spanish).

ADIO assures a rational use of the eggs and avoids massive and uncontrolled removal by communities. The association works together with the Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications Ministry (MINAET), the Costa Rica Institute of Fishing and Agriculture (INCOPESCA), and the Biology Department of the University of Costa Rica.

Only ADIO has permission to commercialize turtle eggs in the country, packed in sealed bags displaying the association’s logo and sold with corresponding invoices. Any other consumption is illegal.

For more information on the issue, contact Johana Perlaza or Luis Jara, in Public Relations at 22995800 extension 323 or by email at jperlaza @ ict.go.cr or ljara @ ict.go.cr. You may also contact Alejandra Fernández, the press consultant, at 2296 2722 or at afernandez @ comunicacioncorporativa.net
Comments
Add New
Barbara 2010-02-25 08:35:43
my question to you is how rigidly and properly is this enforced?
Haven't you opened up a legal loophole that allows anyone to poach? unless you have wardens or supervisors all over the beaches during this time, I don't see how it can be controlled properly.
Reply
19 8
Traductor Certificado
Hernan Navas Rivas 2010-02-25 09:35:40
I was very much disturbed by those images of people poaching the eggs even as the turtles were laying them. Those turtles are an endangered species and Costa Rica should set an example, being as it is so environmentally conscious, of encouraging a total ban of turtle egg consumption. There other mechanisms to avoid "massive and uncontrolled removal by communities", instead of rationing its removal. With the help of the international community Costa Rica could create a police force in-situ to keep poachers away. There should also be stiff penalties for the criminals who break the law, if there in fact is such a law against poaching. The comment above on the Ostional egg poaching doesn't mention any laws in place against illegal poaching, much less the mechanisms for enforcing those laws.

Sincerely,
Hernan Navas Rivas
Reply
15 14
look at more pictures
jeanette 2010-02-26 14:39:35
i wpould like to see more pictures of your country
Reply
12 5
Egg poaching
Brian 2010-03-01 09:56:55
Sounds like the same excuse the Japanese use to justify whaling.
Reply
17 10
Ostional Egg Removal
Guillermo Escalante 2010-10-14 10:18:00
The article makes a huge omission in that because of the local community which "harvests" the eggs, the turtle population is thriving. Illegal poaching is down to a minimum, but as one can imagine it is impossible to stop. The local community takes care of the turtle eggs much better than any warden could, because it is their livelihood and therefore, very well protected. They make money off the sale of the eggs, but also as guides to the multidude of people who come to witness this amazing event and to those that volunteer to protect the turtles. Having witnessed first hand the laying of the eggs, the turtles are in no danger of extinction. They are all over the place trampling each other in order to lay their eggs. A truly amazing sight.
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0 2
Supposed Egg Poaching
Guillermo Escalante 2010-10-14 10:34:59
Brian,

Bad example: the last I checked, most species of whales are close to extinction. The turtles in Ostional are thriving. The eggs that are removed (1% of the total that are laid by the turtles) would have perished anyway. Google Ostional and you will find more articles on this amazing area. You could even volunteer to go work on the project and learn first hand what the Costa Ricans are doing to preserve the turtle.
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5 1
mrs
cherie 2010-11-02 07:48:50
It is so sad that these people do not understand the turtles are endangered. Perhaps some schooling on this fact would do some good. Especially in schools. I'm sure there is another way to make money. So many things are endangered do to the ignorance of people. Ivory for instance sent to China and Tiger paw for medicinal use. Let's all become more compassionant.
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0 2
very sad day
bryan overton 2010-03-17 10:59:33
This is the sadest thing, in all those pictures posted on the internet I didn't see anyone there monitoring the harvesting of the eggs.
Reply
7 5
Sustainable harvest.ing of Turtle eggs...is it rea
Lanks 2010-03-17 21:53:55
Quite frankly, looking at the pictures anyone can realise that the word "Sustainable"does not fit in. If the government of Costa Rica is monitoring these activities, why has it been open to the public this way? Then they should have seperate harvest sites (personally im against that as well..as i believe all living creatures have the right to live).. However if it is a "Must" to harvest these eggs and that brings a considerable amount of income to the contry to contribute to the the GNP ..then there should be farms to do that.. Why are these people here with kids and families and filling sacks of eggs?..im sure there was nothing left by the time they finished their "Sustainable harvesting".This is a real shame...People, please be more open mided about the long term consequesnces of your actions...
...Lanks...
Reply
2 10
Sustainable Harvesting?????
Suzie 2010-04-10 16:37:31
Excuse me!?!?!? It looks as though stealing/paoching is way more appropriate. It doensn't look right becasue: 1)The "amounts" that are taken,2)Childres???!!! like they understand what is going on NOT 3)Removing the eggs while the females are still trying to cover them up... sick 4)This is monitored "How" exactly you state "ADIO assures a rational use of the eggs and avoids massive and uncontrolled removal by a community" So like that means what exactly???? looks like "MASSIVE" removal to me!
Reply
3 6
Do some research, people!!
Al 2010-04-20 18:28:55
Do your own research, people! Stop jumping to conclusions. The arribada lasts for 5 days. The late-arriving turtles used to destroy 70-80% of the nests of those who arrived before them. The people in the community are now allowed to remove eggs during the first 36 hours only. They sell the eggs and in return, protect the Olive Ridley day and night from poachers. While other species of sea turtles are declining in numbers, the Ostional Olive Ridley population has stabilized.
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0 4
Michelle 2010-05-12 06:45:24
what's the difference between harvesting turtle eggs and chicken eggs? before you accuse that it's a SICK thing, you should consider things from more perspectives. look into the situation as to why they do so. just because they harvest eggs from "endangered species" doesn't mean that it's any different than harvesting eggs from other not endangered species.
Reply
1 4
turtle stealing
cjm 2010-07-06 18:00:03
Governements all over the world are able to justify whatever they want for thier own purposes. there are cases such as in forests where it helps preserve the forest by taking out dead and sick trees. also trees where there is too much overgrowth can be removed (i am not talking about selective logging)which ensures the survival of the forest and in fact causes it in some places to flourish. however, this is done by professionals trained to know what the overgrowth looks like and what to take. i doubt if you would see thousands of people going up to the Sierras hauling down trees and calling it "selective forrest management." that is why there is no government in this whole wide world that can solve mankinds issues. if you don't believe in God's government being established on the earth you better hope real hard because mankind can't do it, the good is outnumbered by the greedy and lying.
Reply
1 2
Calm down
Anonymous 2010-07-30 14:46:32
Excuse me, but I have been to Ostional and seen the project, and it is very well planned and controlled on a biological/scientific and economic basis. You should be informed that the residents take less than 1% of the eggs laid, and that they plan the harvest of the eggs during the first two days of a 5 to 7 day arribada (arrival) so that they only take eggs from a small specified section of the beach and that they eggs they take would be destroyed anyway by turtles digging their nests during the subsequent days. Millions of turtles arrive every month, laying an average of 100 eggs each, and the people are taking less than 1% of that, and furthermore from the eggs that would be destroyed anyway. They also aid the hatchling turtles on their way to the sea, clean the beach so the turtles will have a better space to nest, and patrol the beach day and night for poachers. The profits from the sale of these eggs are split equally among all participants and are used to fund community development projects like schools and healthcare. This is their only source of income and they are doing it in a smart, sustainable way. Ostional was a very poor community and unsustainable egg poaching was rampant before this project began. They know their quality of life depends on the turtles so they care deeply about sustaining and growing the turtle population. Sounds sustainable to me. I understand that there is a lot of misinformation out there, but please educate yourself about the whole situation before becoming distraught.
Reply
0 3
Monitoring the taking of eggs
Carl 2010-08-25 13:34:37
Well, I think the guy taking the pictures was the guy monitoring the situation. You got photos of it, and they are all over the internet, with an explanation from the Costa Rican Govt. what other monitoring do you want? YOU COULD GO THERE and wait for the turtles and take your own photos. Would that make you feel better? I have been there, more than once, and its WAY BETTER than it was before the agreement. Back then, it was a crime against mother nature.
Reply
3 1
This is NOT sustainable
wiz 2010-10-15 17:05:54
In the rest of the world, the collected eggs are NOT sold for bar food. The eggs collected are brought to a safe place, put into sand that is similar to where the eggs were laid.

Then, when the turles hatch, they are kept safe for a few days AND RETURNED TO THE SEA.

WHY is the government of Costa Rica allowing this rape of their own natural resources?

Shame on you.

Shame.
Reply
2 0
Terrible Image of Costa Rica
Don spann 2010-10-16 06:21:05
The pictures of uncontrolled taking of sea turtle eggs send to the world the most terrible image of Costa Rica possible. My first reaction is I will never visit there because of such greed and ignorance. What is wrong with the people relocating the eggs to another place where the turtles might have a chance at survival? What examples do you have of how the people support the program other than for personal greed?I cannot imagine anyone thinking they have reached a wonderful conclusion as how to best handle the conservation problem you describe. Surely you can devise smarter plans than the one of simply eating hundreds of thousands of turtle eggs.

Don Spann
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2 0
Erica Pallaron 2010-10-18 08:53:49
My question is, what do you do with the eggs? How are they commercialized? Do you eat the eggs, or do you hatch them and then kill them off for food?
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4 0
Are you turning your cheek? Its Poaching!
Shana 2010-10-20 12:22:15
This is horrible and I was very much hoping when I researched the photos further that my worries would be invalid. Shame on you Costa Rica!
Reply
4 0
Egg Harvesting another excuse to do it
Laura Silva 2010-10-21 13:21:33
It's one of the most disturbing pictures I have seen. The explanation given by the Costa Rica Tourism Board is one of the most ignorant excuses I have read. I had plans to visit Costa Rica, after this and the pathetic explanation, my plans of visiting this country have seized. I am a scuba diver and dive all over the world. I have swam with these majestic angels of the sea and to see and read this sickened me. Protect, the way Cozumel protects. They actually wait for the turlte to FINISH laying and collect the eggs CAREFULLY, and transport them to a local hatchery where they are protected. The the turtles hatch they bring them back to where they collected them and release. That is saving a species, not collecting the eggs and harvesting, because theres too many or the other turtles will damage them.
I think Costa Rica needs to look into their procedures and make some changes. These are damaging images and will hurt the tourism, especially among us divers....
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7 0
Costa Rica Sea Turtle Eggs
Melvyn C. Papa 2010-10-28 02:48:31
I believe there would be other ways to help save the environment ot these creatures from extinvtion other than allowing these costa ricans to harvest eggs for commercial purposes. I understand, they are allowed to get the eggs they can during the alibada or the nestting of these turtles, but here in the Philippines, the turtles are well taken care of,, we infact named their nesting grounds (an island) as turtle island and really guarding their nesting ground from human predator.... Though the turtles lays hundreds of eggs, but the survival ratio is very slim...out of 100 hatches, only 3 or 5 could make it, others die while tyring to reach the sea water, while others dies from their predators.

Costa Rican people should do this with their own will and not becuase they will benefitted for the egg surpluses as the writings are saying. Its still a shame that they cant understand that its nature, and that they should be doung it for their children and the children of their childre.

would they like to see these turtles on photos only, on books etc etc...

My dear fellow....... rise up
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3 1
More Reasonable Solution
Alice 2010-11-01 08:48:51
Seems to me a more reasonable solution would be to pay the harvesters a reasonable wage and take the eggs back to a hatchery until they are hatched and ready to be returned safely to the ocean. Everybody wins, especially the turtles!
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5 2
I don't buy that!
Amanda 2010-11-05 09:19:49
It seems,as if, every single egg was taken, surely more than the turtles may have destroyed themselves?
They are still being sold and the availability of them for commercial use, only increases the demand.
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3 1
NOT HAPPY
NOT HAPPY 2010-11-10 18:42:19
Costa Rica is not helping this vulnerable species, I do not agree with your laws in regards to harvesting this beautiful creature's eggs, when are governments going to stand up for creatures that cannot fend for themselves. How can this be sustainable for this speciies when they are becoming extinct what a joke!!!!!
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6 2
Natural Selection Affect?
Marian Schwarzenbach 2010-11-30 10:45:51
I'm wondering if the killing of ALL the eggs of the first arrivers is having a natural selection effect on the first and possibly fastest, or perhaps locally closer, populations of mamma turtles? Are you killing the strongest, fastest, smartest?
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3 1
Poaching
Bruno 2010-11-30 21:09:29
It's a downright scandal, this hypocrisy because everyone on the peninsula knows more eggs are harvested by poachers than by the "legally controled" harvesters.
Costa Rica is a nice country, but it could do a lot more to protect species and natural resources.
Reply
5 1
It's wrong
Joy 2010-12-06 12:00:43
man has no business interfering with the natural cycle of this turtle. as for the "consumption" of these legally collected eggs.. I would believe only that there is a market waiting overseas for them... big money for this venture...:>((
Reply
4 0
Ms.
Corinne 2010-12-07 10:39:27
By legal standards the people are not poachers but the multitude of eggs, from the first three days of laying, are allowed to be sold commercially. Supposedly this is becaue the turtles that arrive later crush the eggs of the turtles that arrive earlier. I wonder how the turtles managed before the human intervention and how many other animals that would normally depend upon the eggs, are being deprived of the eggs that are taken by the humans? I have to wonder if the turtle populations are so congested because of a loss of habitat? "Ostional local development association, ADIO, controls the legal harvest and sale of about 1,000,000 eggs a month." Is legalized poaching a reasonal alternative to illegal poaching and how are the eggs protected after the three legal days of egg removal?
Reply
3 1
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