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Jalova August 14 Mothly Achievement
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GVI.2014.2 MONTHLY ACHIEVEMENT REPORT, Jalova August 2014 Participating in the management of the Tortuguero National Park (TNP). Objective MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability GVI Jalova Objective: Support local management of marine and terrestrial resources through rele- vant surveys, data collection/analysis and scientific reports; organization of or participation in con- servation events, awareness programs and trainings; collaboration with park management and other conservation institutions; and direct economic support for park management and conservation initi- atives through GVI CT. • Unite all institutions working for the conservation of TNP in order to achieve long term park goals and objectives such as the increase in effectiveness of management of the park. In order for this objective to be successful it is essential that all institutions and participants involved have strong communication links with one another, are well coor- dinated, and have a mutual working agenda. Summary GVI Jalova participated in a meeting in response to the occurrence of illegal activity during the turtle nesting season in the TNP. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment of Costa Rica (MI- NAE) regional headquarters in Guápiles, Costa Rica. Also present were representatives from the Area de Conservation Tortuguero (ACTO), the Costa Rican Coast Guard based in Limon, the Sea Tur- tle Conservancy (STC) based in Tortuguero, and the Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation (COTERC). Topics discussed during the meeting included but were not limited to the logistical organization of both the TNP rangers and the local police force, the use of patrolling equipment, and the short and long term commitments needed to reduce the occurrence and frequency of illegal activity. The three volunteer-based organizations, GVI, STC and COTERC, offered assistance to the coast guard in patrolling the TNP. Report Jalova river mouth is located approximately 15 miles south of Tortuguero town and 30 miles north of the capital of the province, Limón. The abundance of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) using the area as a nesting and mating ground make it one of the most globally important sites for the species. As a result, thousands of tourists from around the world come to witness the spectacle each year thus boosting the eco-tourism industry in the area. However, the remoteness and relative inaccessibility of the TNP (it can only be reached by boat or airplane) also make the area an ideal and appealing site for poachers.
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Jalova August 14 Mothly Achievement
Transcript of Jalova August 14 Mothly Achievement
GVI.2014.2
MONTHLY ACHIEVEMENT REPORT, Jalova August 2014
ParticipatinginthemanagementoftheTortugueroNationalPark(TNP).
ObjectiveMDG7:EnsureEnvironmentalSustainabilityGVIJalovaObjective:Supportlocalmanagementofmarineandterrestrialresourcesthroughrele-vantsurveys,datacollection/analysisandscientificreports;organizationoforparticipationincon-servationevents,awarenessprogramsandtrainings;collaborationwithparkmanagementandotherconservationinstitutions;anddirecteconomicsupportforparkmanagementandconservationiniti-ativesthroughGVICT.
• UniteallinstitutionsworkingfortheconservationofTNPinordertoachievelongtermparkgoalsandobjectivessuchastheincreaseineffectivenessofmanagementofthepark.Inorderforthisobjectivetobesuccessfulitisessentialthatallinstitutionsandparticipantsinvolvedhavestrongcommunicationlinkswithoneanother,arewellcoor-dinated,andhaveamutualworkingagenda.
SummaryGVIJalovaparticipatedinameetinginresponsetotheoccurrenceofillegalactivityduringtheturtlenestingseasonintheTNP.ThemeetingwasheldattheMinistryofEnvironmentofCostaRica(MI-NAE)regionalheadquartersinGuápiles,CostaRica.AlsopresentwererepresentativesfromtheAreadeConservationTortuguero(ACTO),theCostaRicanCoastGuardbasedinLimon,theSeaTur-tleConservancy(STC)basedinTortuguero,andtheCanadianOrganizationforTropicalEducationandRainforestConservation(COTERC).TopicsdiscussedduringthemeetingincludedbutwerenotlimitedtothelogisticalorganizationofboththeTNPrangersandthelocalpoliceforce,theuseofpatrollingequipment,andtheshortandlongtermcommitmentsneededtoreducetheoccurrenceandfrequencyofillegalactivity.Thethreevolunteer-basedorganizations,GVI,STCandCOTERC,offeredassistancetothecoastguardinpatrollingtheTNP.ReportJalovarivermouthislocatedapproximately15milessouthofTortuguerotownand30milesnorthofthecapitaloftheprovince,Limón.Theabundanceofgreenturtles(Cheloniamydas)usingtheareaasanestingandmatinggroundmakeitoneofthemostgloballyimportantsitesforthespecies.Asaresult,thousandsoftouristsfromaroundtheworldcometowitnessthespectacleeachyearthusboostingtheeco-tourismindustryinthearea.However,theremotenessandrelativeinaccessibilityoftheTNP(itcanonlybereachedbyboatorairplane)alsomaketheareaanidealandappealingsiteforpoachers.
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GVIJalovasubmittedthe´12thofJunepetition´toMINAE,reportingtheharpooningofturtlestakingplaceintheprotectedmarineareaoftheNationalPark.DuringthesubsequentmonthstheillegalactivitynotonlycontinuedbutwasobservedeverydaybyGVIstaffandvolunteerspatrollingthebeach.Localauthoritieswerealwaysinformedassoonaspossibleabouttheillegalactivitiestakingplacehoweverduetoineffectivelogisticalplanningandthelackofmanpowertheywereneverabletosuccessfullycarryouttheirduties.Inconjunctionwiththeauthoritiesandotherorganizations,GVIcontactedtheSTCandCOTERCtoexposeanddiscusstheissuesinanattempttoaddressandreduceillegalactivityandalsootherproblemsoftheTNP.AfewinformalconversationsbetweenthethreeorganizationsledtoareunionwiththedirectorofACTO,andLauraRiveraandMariaHelenaHerrerafromMINAE.ThemeetingtookplaceinthecityofGuapileswhereGVIJalovawasrepresentedbyitsBaseManager,MarilianaLeotta,andtheMarineTurtleConservationProjectLeader,RenatoBruno.NationalDirectorRoxanaSilmanandResearchFieldCoordinatorRaulVarellabothrepresentedtheSTC;andCOTERCwasrepresentedbyResearchCoordinatorLuisFernandez.AlsoinattendancewerebiologistMauricioVargasoftheCostaRicanCoastGuard,andVirgitaMolinaSanchezfromtheDirectionofEnvironmentalQualityofMINAE.Allpersonspresentweremadeawareofthecomplexityoftheparkmanagement.AccordingtoLauraRivera,directorofACTo,theTNPiscomposedofmorethan400squaremilesandisprotectedbylessthan65people.Duringtheturtlereproductiveseasoninwhichtheturtlescomeashoretonest,theconservationareareceivesapproximately30,000seaturtlesof4differentspecies.Duringthematingprocess,turtlesfloatinpairsonthesurfaceoftheoceanforlongperiodsoftime.Itisduringthisperiodthattheyaremoresusceptibletobeingharpoonedbypoachers.MauricioVargasoftheCostaRicancoastguardstatedthattheyhadtravelledtoJalovarivermouthfromLimoninlateJunetopatrolduringtheseaturtlematingseason,howeverduetoinadequatefacilitiestherangerstationbasedatJalovawasunabletoaccommodatethem.MariaHelenaHerreraofMINAEapologizedfortheinconvenienceandconfirmedthattherangerstationinJalovaisnowfixedandhastworoomsreadyforuse.MarilianaLeotta,basemanagerofGVIJalova,offeredroomandboardfortheCoastGuardaccord-ingtothescheduleofthestation,whichwouldbefundedthroughtheGVICharitableTrust,estab-lishedinJalovatoraisefundstosupportparkmanagementinimplementingconservationplansthroughpurchaseofequipment,fuel,suppliesandothernecessities.ThiswasanofferwhichwasthenmatchedbytheSTCandCOTERC.RoxanaSilman,directoroftheSTC,initiatedthediscussionwiththeauthoritiesbyhighlightingthemainreasonsforthemeeting.Shedeclaredthatintegrationbetweentheparkrangersandthepo-liceinTortuguerowasneededinordertomaximizethepatrollingeffortsonthebeach.Roxanaalsostatedthatthemainproblemfacingtheauthoritieswasthepoachingofturtlesandeggsfromthebeach.TheSTCcurrentlypatrolsthebeachfrom20:00to04:00hourscovering5milesofthenorth-ernendofthepark.Touristsandguidesareallowedonthebeachuntil22:00hoursandthisactivityappearstoinhibitpoachers.Asaresult,thegapbetween04:00hoursanddaylightactsasawindowofopportunityinwhichtheillegalactivitiesaremostlikelytotakeplace.
GVI.2014.2
ItwassuggestedbyRaulVarellaoftheSTCthatcombiningthepresenceofthelawpatrolalongwiththetimeframeinwhichtouristsareauthorizedtobeonthebeachcausesahighernegativeimpactonturtlesthusloweringtheoveralleffectivenessofthepatrol.WiththeintentionofcoordinatingalleffortsameetingwithASOPROTUR(AssociationofGuides),theSTC,ParkRangersandPolicewasheldinTortugueroonthe17ofJuly2014.Inconjunction,ascheduledtimetableofpatrolswases-tablishedimmediately.GVIrepresentativesalsoattemptedtoinitiateandcreateafocusonthesouthernandcentralsec-tionsofthepark.Intheseareasoftheparktherangersarerequiredtohavemarinenavigationtrain-ingandapermitwhichallowsthemtosuccessfullynavigatethepatrolboatsinandoutofthepro-tectedmarinezone.RenatoBrunoaskedwhatplansweretobeputinplaceinordertosolvetheproblemsfacedatJalova.TheresponsebyLauraRiverawasthataplanwasinplacetopurchaseinsuranceforapatrolquadbikeownedbytheJalovaandTortuguerorangerstationsandthatallnecessarydocumentationshouldbereadywithinsevendaysofthemeeting.HerresponseswereswiftandshealsosentadocumentrequestingfortheCoastGuardAcademytotraintherangersinmarinenavigationtechniques.AMINAErepresentativeaskedGVIJalovaforhelpintransportingthepatrolboatsfromCañoBlancodock,thisrequestwasgrantedbyJalova`sbasemanagerMarilianaLeottaandthenewquadbikesarrivedinJalovathreeweeksafterthemeeting.GVIwouldusefundsfromtheGVICharitableTrusttocoverthecostofthistransport.Unfortunately,evenafterprolongeddiscussionthesecondweekofSeptember2014sawnoprogressintheimplementationofpatrolboatsuse.AttheendofthemeetingMarilianaandRenatoofGVIpresentedthecoastguardwithsomephoto-graphsoftheturtleharpooningactivity.Thesephotographsweretakenfromsecurelocationsalongthebeachandcapturedthenamesoftheboatsinvolved.AccordingtotheCoastGuardrepresenta-tives,thisevidenceunfortunatelycan’tbeusedasproofinthecourtoflawbutwoulddefinitelyassistandbeusefulinthemonitoringofcertainboats.
Inaddition,othersubjectsrelatedtotheuseoftheNationalParkandlocalcommunityoutreachprogramswerediscussed.TheconclusionreachedwasthatthemeetinghadsuccessfullycreatedastrongerrelationshipbetweenallmembersworkingfortheconservationoftheTNPandthatimme-diateactionisfundamentalinpreparingforandavoidingthesameproblemsoccurringnextseason.
