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Decree changes boundaries of Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge
Posted by Editor | October 25, 2007 | Categories: Environment, Government and Politics | 4 Comments
 Lagoon inside the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge |
A decree published on Monday in La Gaceta, the official government newspaper, again changes the boundaries of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge.
The decree adds one area and removes several others.
The decree adds two areas of sea to the maritime protected area. 2,500 square meters of area was added at the mouth of the Sixaola river and 100 meters was added was added to the northeast of the Cocles river.
The decree also repealed part of a previous decree which included parts of the Puerto Viejo and the villages of Gandoca and Manzanillo in the reserve boundaries. It stipulated that the municipality of Talamanca and Minae, the environment ministry, should work together to determine which areas should remain part of the reserve and which should be deemed urban areas.
Costa Rican law protects the first 200 meters of coastline on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The first 50 meters of this maritime zone from the high tide mark is considered public land and cannot be developed. Within the next 150 meters however concessions can be granted for development. In areas inside the refuge, this land cannot be developed. Outside the refuge, the municipality would be able to grant these development concessions.
The Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge was established in 1985 and protects some of the most important wetlands and coral reefs in the Caribbean. It shelters endangered species such as the manatee and green and carey sea turtles.
Edwin Cyrus, director of the La Amistad Caribe conservation area, stated that this new decree opens the door to exclude an important part of the refuge and make it part of the urban zone.
“With this decree the entire maritime zone of the refuge could be redrawn as urban zone”, he warned.
Cyrus also warned that “economic development in areas beside the protected zone can be catastrophic for the wetlands of the zone which are on listed on The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands as of international importance.”
For her part, Paola Mora, legal counsel for the Municipality of Talamanca, said that it is the right of the communities of Gandoca, Manzanillo and Puerto Viejo to take control of these lands; that they are already well-known as urban areas.
“The municipality supports environmental protection and has therefore called for a halt in the falling of trees throughtout Talamanca.”
“The municipality commits to coordinate with environmental institutions, not just to do whatever we wish. Everything will be done in total coordination with the competent institutions to come up with a new process”, added the lawyer.
Link: La Nacion: Nuevo decreto varía límites de Refugio Gandoca-Manzanilo.
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Comments
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The municipality has never had a track record of protecting the environment. Let’s look at the wetlands of Playa Negra, where they have granted significant development and draining of the wetlands – for example.
In Punta Uva / entrance to Arricife – we see lots of 1000 M granted by the municipality – before this decree, in an area of swamp – previously zoned min 4500 SqM. Where will the septic runoffs go? How many trees will be left remaining? This is swamp land, it cannot drain anywhere except into the crystal clear waters hosting the coral reefs where all the tourists love to go. There has been no planning for the future except today’s dollar potential. Unless some serious regulations and zoning are put into place – this area is about to go under serious environmental attack and our tourism potential will be adversly affected.
Ask any tourist why they come to our area: The virgin beaches – the wildlife! With municipal development about to be granted – the lush virgin beaches are about to disappear – deleting the main reason Puerto Viejo and the surrounding areas are on the map today.
Unless the municipality does what they have never been able to accomplish in the past – and that is establishing (and enforcing!!) a true plan for it’s vision for the future – than consider this a disaster waiting to happen. There is unfortunately no reason to believe otherwise.
The marina: National Park to the West and Wildlife Refuge the the East. In theory, where can the boats go? Nowhere – unless of course there is complete disregard for what remains of the refuge.
Jet skis: I had a tico tourist last week tell me she visited the area for the first time. She was amazed and loved the fact that she could lie on the beach without the sound of jet skis. That could be over!
Who is behind this and why is that important?
Basically folks, the person who has dredged canals through coral reefs in front of Punta Uva and pumped raw sewage into the ocean and defied orders by the MINAE – this person (and other large land owners) are fully and directly responsible for this “behind the scenes” refuge takeover and marina plans. This is a revenge plot because MINAE attempted to enforce the laws that he broke several years ago by removing him and his business. This sets an awful example to the world for a supposedly eco tourism country!! No one should have any illusions that the folks behind this takeover and marina plans have any GOOD intentions other than to make money at the expense of everyone’s future.
If you liked Jaco – stick around – it’s coming real soon.
Lastly, a note to land owners: Many of you have expressed joy at some of this news saying “my land is now / will be worth much more”. If we are truly responsible towards our future and our children’s future, then we should consider that the potential of Puerto Viejo / Manzanillo lies in what it has today – not what the folks above plan for tomorrow. Caribe Sur is unique because of the limited development, the small hotels, the virgin beaches, the people. If we do not control this significantly – and NOW , then there will be nothing unique about our region except what has always in the past kept people away: the rain, the drugs, the crime , etc. In the long term, property values will go up higher IF we create a truly unique and balanced neighborhood of sustainable development – unlike almost anywhere else. It is not too late to decide our future…do we want a Jaco future or preserve our paradise as we know it?
The community must speak out!
The most important issue now that this decree has been published is addressing how the environmental protection of the coast is going to be guaranteed The main problem with the decree is that it gives no participation to the community organizations.
ATEC has sent me a copy of the decree that was published in La Gaceta. You can download a copy of it here if you’d like to read the full text of the decree (in Spanish of course).
Hola,
I agree with Manual Pinto. We must protect this area and limited any large commercial development.
Dan Twomey