Costa Rica Refuge Suffers Lack of Staff

Costa Rica Nature Refuge Suffers Due to Lack of Staff

Written by Steph

The Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge is in serious trouble. Costa Rica’s largest national refuge, with over 81,000 hectares, is seriously understaffed. There are literally only two rangers to cover this vast area. Illegal immigrants from Nicaragua cross the San Juan River and live on the end of the refuge, destroying vegetation and establishing home sites. Illegal fishing, hunting, and logging are all commonplace. Without the proper manpower to patrol the area, rangers are unable to prevent these unfortunate abuses to this important natural habitat.

It is important to remember that the Barra del Colorado is a refuge, not a reserve. When the refuge was sanctioned in 1985, over 3,000 people were already living there and were permitted to stay. This creates the unique problem of people living in protected areas where fishing, hunting and logging are prohibited. Unfortunately, there simply aren’t enough rangers to enforce these laws and keep people from squatting. During turtle season, Tortugeuro has 20 guards and is only one third the size of The Barra del Colorado. However, there are only six rangers at The Barra del Colorado during its busiest season.

Changes are going to have to be made to preserve this national treasure. A management plan delineating land use has been made and will hopefully be approved in 2008. However, as Luis Rojas told the Tico Times, “This is a refuge, not a national park. People live here. We must find ways to work with them, not against them. We want to teach them sustainable farming, encourage tourism growth, help them help themselves and respect the place they live.” Indeed.

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