Costa Rica suffered severe deforestation and a rapid decline in the populations of
many animal species in the 1900s. The disappearance of the sapo dorado (golden toad) and the plight of the great green macaw highlight the vulnerability of the country’s wildlife. The rise of ecotourism and Costa Rica’s efforts to protect its flora and fauna have led to the creation of a network of protected areas. Occupying about one-third of the country, this network includes 34 national parks, 56 wildlife refuges, 14 wetlands, and eight biological reserves.These conservation areas are administered by the National Conserva tion Areas System (SINAC) under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE).
Habitat Loss The main environmental threat to Costa Rica comes from deforestation. Large swaths of the nation’s low lands have been cleared of rainforest rich in biodiversity to make room for large-scale cattle ranches and cash crops such as citrus, bananas, and pineapples.
Peasant farmers also clear virgin mountain tracts for their own plots, and coastal forest has
been felled at a quickening pace since the millennium as a result of a frenzied real-estate
boom. More than 60 species of trees are now protected, and no tree may be felled without a
government permit. However, compliance with the law is often tenuous. Other threats to the local fauna and flora include pollution from fruit planta tions, whose fertilizers and pesticides
are blamed for killing off coral reefs at Cahuita; the trawl nets of shrimp boats, which result in
the death of marine turtles; and the potentially lethal danger posed by uninsulated electricity
cables, which unsuspecting monkeys, sloths, and other arboreal mammals use to cross between trees.
Hunting and Poaching Hunting is legal in Costa Rica except in national parks and reserves. Nonetheless, illegal hunting continues even within protected zones such as Corcovado, where there are not enough rangers to ensure the protection of jaguars, peccaries,
and tapirs, which are prized as trophy kills. Culling tapirs and other large mammals threatens the jaguar population by removing its food source. Peasants consider wild cats and other large carnivores to be pests and often shoot them on sight. Poaching for the illegal pet trade has contributed to the severe decline of parrot and monkey populations; and marine turtle nests continue to be poached for eggs, which are reputed by some to have aphrodisiac qualities when
consumed raw.
CITES The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) is an agreement that aims to regulate the trade in products of plant and animal species – from live monkeys to marine turtle-shell products – and ensure that such trade
does not threaten the species’ survival. Signed in 1963, CITES protects more than 33,000
species of flora and fauna worldwide. Costa Rican species listed as threatened or endangered include 16 bird, 13 mammal, eight reptile, and two amphibian species, plus dozens of plants.
CITES requests that any trade in listed products be done only with a permit. Unfortunately,
many species are trafficked illegally, including parrots and macaws, which are stolen from their nests as hatchlings and can fetch more than $1,500 on the international market. Many endemic orchid species are also at risk due to illegal poaching by collectors and smugglers – rare specimens may sell for $2,000 or more. As a result, the guaria morada orchid, the national flower, is extremely rare in the wild.
Endangered Species Costa Rican law protects 166 animal species from hunting, capture, or sale, as well as all orchid species. One of the most critically endangered animal
species is the leather back turtle, which faces threats from fishing, egg poaching, pollution, and
rampant development near its main nesting beach, Playa Grande. Other species in danger
of local extinction include the three-wattled bellbird and the great green macaw. Efforts to
save the macaw populations are now finally bearing fruit.
Ecotourism The popularity of ecotourism has done wonders for conservation efforts in Costa Rica. Not only does it generate direct revenue from entrance fees to parks and reserves, but it also creates employment, serves as a deterrent to hunters and poachers, and fosters a
strong conservation ethic within local communities. The economic incentive to protect,
rather than cull, local wildlife is particularly evident at Tortuguero, a coastal community that previously lived by poaching turtle eggs. Today, former poachers earn their income as guides. Many private landholders have also been inspired to turn existing woodland into private
reserves as a source of income, leading to an increase in the percentage of land under forest. Greater ecological sensitivity has also seen Costa Ricans successfully lobby against proposed gold-mining and offshore oil-drilling projects.
Macaw-Breeding Programs With a large range throughout Central and South
America, the scarlet macaw is considered a species of least concern. However, it has disappeared from many parts of Costa Rica, and the great green macaw is also listed as endangered. Several private initiatives have been set up to reverse the dramatic decline in
population by breeding macaws for release into the wild as sustainable-size flocks, including in areas from which they have disappeared. The organizations leading these efforts include:
• The Ara Project, which breeds both green and scarlet macaws and is attempting to repopulate
the southern Caribbean with green macaws;
• Asoprolapa,a program at Tambor that has freed more than 100 birds since 2007;
• Zoo Ave, which releases scarlet macaws into the wild, mainly from Piedras Blancas National Park.
0 comments:
Post a Comment