RainforestAid 09

Tuna Farm Hits Wall of Local Opposition

2009-05-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Scientists say environmental impact ‘criteria’ did not
look at impact on gulf
By Mike McDonald
Tico Times Staff

PAVONES – Local opposition to the construction
of a tuna farm near the mouth of
the Golfo Dulce is growing fast.
Members of nearby communities, along
with local and national organizations, gathered
by the hundreds here on Sunday to protest
the Granjas Atuneras, S.A. project three
weeks after the Environment, Energy and
Telecommunications Ministry (MINAET) dismissed the Marine Turtle and Restoration
Program’s (PRETOMA) complaints about
the project.
At the center of the “Save the Golfo
Dulce Festival” was a petition circulated by
PRETOMA, which collected 704 signatures.
PRETOMA officials personally delivered the
30-page appeal to the office of President
Oscar Arias on Wednesday.
“Our organization joins forces with these
communities in their call for you...to newly
suspend the execution (of the tuna farm) as
long as it doesn’t comply with the stipulations
of the Supreme Court (Sala IV),” the
petition reads.
Although yet to be constructed, the proposed
farm already has a long legal history,
and this is not the first time a suspension of
the project has been requested.
Based on PRETOMA’s initial lawsuit, the
Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
(Sala IV) suspended the project in 2007 until the
Environment Ministry’s Technical Secretariat
(SETENA) sought out an independent source
to conduct “the necessary technical studies”
(TT Nov. 21, 2008). One of PRETOMA’s many
concerns was that gulf currents would carry
large amounts of fish excrement into the gulf
and choke the area’s ecosystem.
SETENA asked the University of Costa
Rica’s Ocean Science and Limnology Research
Center (CIMAR) for “technical criteria”
regarding the tuna farm, which CIMAR completed
in 11 days. CIMAR did not conduct any
studies of the Golfo Dulce for the report, and
CIMAR director Alvaro Morales said a specific
study of the impact of the proposed farm
on the gulf is not what SETENA requested.
“They wanted technical criteria, not
a study. We gave them technical criteria,”
Morales said.
Morales noted that in order to best assess
the environmental impact of the project, a
Golfo Dulce-specific study should be conducted.
He said such a study would be a long
term and more expensive process, something
that CIMAR’s report explicitly states.
Nonetheless, SETENA suggested on Nov.
6, 2008 that the project continue, based on
CIMAR’s report and other internal studies.
Accepting SETENA’s recommendation,
MINAET rejected PRETOMA’s arguments
against the project on April 30 of this year.
Morales admitted that he thought
SETENA used the CIMAR report out of
context, but said “if SETENA wants to use it
in that way, that’s their issue.”
Despite numerous phone calls, SETENA
officials did not respond to questions by
press time.
PRETOMA’s petition concludes that a
study which “determines with a high level of
certainty” the environmental impact of the
farm has not been done. “For this, we don’t
accept the decision of (MINAET’s) interim
minister, Jorge Rodríguez.”
Local Reaction
Now that the project is only a ship crane’s
swing away from commencement, locals
who depend on the water’s pura naturaleza
are worried about the possible environmental
impact and the economic consequences
that could follow construction of the farm.
Víctor Rocha, president of the National
Artesanal Fishing Federation, is afraid contamination
from the farm will negatively
affect fishing yields. The area where Granjas
Atuneras, S.A. plans to build the tuna farm is
a rich fishing ground for red snapper, one of
the gulf ’s most popular catches.
Rocha noted that many of the fishermen
lead fishing tours for foreigners who visit
the area. For a four-hour tour, a visitor pays
around $300 to the local fisherman.
“The contamination, plus the loss of
fishing grounds, would be horrible for us,”
Rocha said. “We have to travel out far enough
as it is to fish, and gas isn’t cheap.”
Patricia Arce, executive director of the
National Chamber of Seafood Exporters, said
there is a large market for tuna, although very
little is consumed in Costa Rica.
“Most of the tuna from this farm would
be for export,” she said. Arce speculated most
of the tuna would be sent to Asia, where
much of the world’s tuna is consumed.
As for jobs, Arce said the company
could build a processing plant on shore
which could provide opportunities to
locals. Although Pavones and its neighboring
communities don’t appear to have
the infrastructure to support a processing
plant, Arce said that Golfito or Puerto
Jiménez, the area’s larger towns, could be
options for the facility.
Since Granjas Atuneras is a foreign
company which would be producing tuna
largely for export, locals don’t believe that
they would be the ones hired for the jobs,
but Arce said that is “up to the company.”
Attempts by The Tico Times to reach
Granjas Atuneras, S.A. were unsuccessful by
press time.n

Tuna Farm Get's Green Light

2009-05-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

From http://www.rainforestaid09.com/tuna-farm.htm

Tuna Farm Project Gets Green LightEnvironmental Ministry Rejects Pretoma's Appeal(April 30, 2009 - San José, Costa Rica)Costa Rica's Environmental, Energy, and Telecommunications Ministry (Minaet) formally rejected Pretoma's appeal that requested the minister reconsider Setena's decision to approve Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A's. tuna farm project (R-J-185-2009). With this decision, Minaet has granted the project's definitive environmental viability, thus laying ruin to the administrative process designed to duly evaluate the environmental impacts of projects such as this one.

Picture: The Golfo Dulce without tuna farmsLast February 16, Setena strengthened its support for the project by rejecting Pretoma's original appeal. The appeal was filed because in Pretoma's view Setena's ruling did not adhere to the Constitutional Court's order in 2006 to more thoroughly investigate the project's potential environmental impacts, including metabolic waste produced by the tuna in captivity, and whether or not the Golfo Dulce's currents would sweep this waste into the gulf, which could cause serious impacts to the fragile ecosystem.To make matters worse, neither Minaet nor Setena acknowledges the project's possible impacts to sea turtle populations that nest on beaches in and around Punta Banco (the would-be site of the tuna cages). "We don't agree with Minaet's final decision because the inconsistencies that led to the Constitutional Court's suspension of the project have yet to be resolved", said Andy Bystrom from Pretoma. "Because of Minaet's conscious decision to dismantle the administrative process to please the initiatives of an international corporation, we will now pursue other options designed to halt bullish projects such as this one."

Pretoma is not the only entity with serious reservations towards the project. The overwhelming majority of local residents are fearful of the tuna farm's potential impacts on the Golfo Dulce. In the event that the tuna waste is carried into the gulf, levels of organic contamination would increase causing damage to the areas two largest sources of employment: sustainable artisanal fishing and ecological tourism. "This disappointing news comes as no surprise, as the political decision to allow the development of the project despite its environmental concerns was taken since 2004", said a frustrated Randall Arauz, Pretoma's President. "It's clear that community members, among with artisanal and sports fishermen, and ecotourism operators, fear that the tuna farm project will adversely affect their way of life", he added. Community members of the Golfo Dulce have organized an event this coming May 23-24 in Pavones, called "Let's Save the Golfo Dulce". DON'T MIISS IT, and say NO to the Tuna Farms.

For more information:PretomaTel (506) 2241 5227Fax (506) 2236 6017email: info@pretoma.org; andy@pretoma.orgwebsite: www.pretoma.org

RainForest Aid '09 On The Web

2009-05-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

www.rainforestaid09.com

Stop The Tuna Farm in the Golfo Dulce!

2009-05-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Granjas Atuneras Golfito’s tuna farm has been approved by MINAE and from Costa Rica’s Environmental Ministry. The project will begin construction out in the Gulf soon, unless we all pull our resources together and work together as one community. Golfito, Pavones, Puerto Jimenez and everybody in the Southern Zone. More importantly, the tuna cages and processing plant will disrupt the gulf’s delicate ecosystem, and affect local fisheries and sustainable tourism. Basically The Tuna Farm will choke the Gulf within a few years and be a permanent eyesore for all of us, not to mention boost the shark population and dump wastes and contaminants into the Gulfo Dulce. Say goodbye to the dolphins, whale sharks, Humpbacks, surfers and swimmers as the area adjacent to the cages and the gulf in general will become a feeding frenzy for dangerous sharks. This is not what we need in The Golfo Dulce !

http://www.pretoma.org/no-tuna-farms-campaign-launchedarranco-la-ca...

How can RainforestAid help stop this disaster? In addition to producing the first annual 3 day musical event on June 19-21st. RainforestAid09 is bringing global attention to this environmental crime and is hosting a Benefit Dinner at the New Casa Roland Conference Center in Golfito on May 30th in support of the tuna farm crisis. Supporters of RainforestAid09 include Pretoma, MarViva, Corcovado Foundation, Green Global Village, ASCOMOTI, and dozens of others are encouraged to bring your power point presentations over to Casa Roland on May 30th and educate our community about the disastrous tuna farm project as well as other environmental concerns . Life in the Osa will never be the same unless we act now !

Contributed by Michael Cranford 5-16-09

Tico Times Article - Rainforest Aid '09

2009-05-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

RainForest Aid '09
to Raise Money for the Rain Forest
From the TicoTimes April 24, 2009

Rainforest Aid 2009, a three-day music festival (See Complete Live Music Lineup) is set to rock the rain forest June 19 to 21 to raise money for protection of the Osa Peninsula’s renowned biodiversity. The summer-solstice music festival features a tour-style lead-up to the main event, kicking off in the capital city of San José and ending up near the town of Puerto Jiménez on southwestern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.

The lineup includes musicians from all over the world, with more potential artists on the horizon. Artists committed to the concert include local Puerto Jiménez band The Villalobos Brothers, Atlanta-based blues musician Mudcat, jam band The Revolution Project, veteran Costa Rican rock group Igni Ferroque and others.

Classically trained pianist and composer Manuel Obregón will be bringing his grand piano down to the Osa for a Sunday-night performance. Blues, jazz, rock and local Costa Rican music will sound throughout the forest all three days, alternating with guest speakers who will be discussing climate change, sustainable living and alternative energy.

Michael Cranford, the festival’s sustainability organizer, charged with ensuring the event’s environmental friendliness, says Rainforest Aid will aim to serve only organic food that comes from within 250 kilometers of the festival site, with all items served on banana leaves instead of disposable plates. Nonpotable and potable water will be provided for all festivalgoers. “We’re trying to bring as many people down here as possible in an environmentally friendly way,” Cranford says. “The festival is all about making the right choices, or better life choices to protect our fragile environment.” “The rain forests are the heart and lungs of the world,” he adds. “Every time we cut down a tree, we’re putting them at risk.” All proceeds from the concert will remain in Costa Rica, as all the international bands have offered to play for free as long as accommodation, food and transportation costs are covered. While numerous sponsors have already come forward, organizers are still hoping for more. Rainforest Aid 2009 aims to raise $2 million for rain forest awareness, protection and regeneration and potentially fund a sustainable landfill for the Osa Peninsula in the next five years.

Festivalgoers will have a choice of three types of accommodation: hotels in Puerto Jiménez, camping near the festival site or lodging with a local host family. Shuttles to and from the town, the festival and the beach will run every three hours from 6 a.m. to 9p.m. A variety of tours will also be offered. Transportation is being subsidized to encourage the smallest carbon footprint possible.

The price of a festival ticket includes bus fare from Alajuela, northwest of San José, and local airline Nature Air, which claims to be the first certified carbon-neutral airline in the world, is offering a 50 percent discount for anyone wanting to fly to the festival.

3 Day Concert Set To Benefit Costa Rica's Rainforest

2009-05-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Three days of music, Entertainment and fun will take place on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica for Rainforest Aid 09 (http://www.rainforestaid09.com/). The first event of its kind, Rainforest Aid will help preserve culture and biodiversity IN the rainforest with music, art, film, speakers, demonstrations, organic food and alternative energy ideas while promoting sustainble business and tourism on the Osa.

Festival proceeds will benefit health, education and rainforest preservation needs on the Osa. Rainforest Aid goals for the first three years include reducing deforestation on the Osa by 90%, a regional recyclable grocery bag program, educational materials for elementary schools and field trips in nature for children with certified guides. In addition, there are plans for the purchase of land and infrastructure for a Osa-wide sustainable landfill and recycling center providing both full time and part time sustainable employment for Costa Ricans.

Existing conservation groups, including the Corcovado Foundation, are working hard to protect Costa Rica€™s Osa Peninsula and are chronically underfunded. RainforestAid09 aims to change that through partnerships with the Corcovado Foundation, Mono Titi Alliance and Nature Kids as well as sponsors including Nature Air, Costa Rica Traveler Magazine, Green Magazine, Costa Rica Film Festival, Inticketing and Festival de Artes .

Check out the new RainForest Aid Video!

The Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica has always been the wild, wild west of Costa Rica. However with new roads being built, unsustainable developments, proposed marinas, new mining concessions and floating tuna farms.....all that is changing fast.

In addition to the 4-6000 colorful species of trees, birds animals and marine life that call The Osa Peninsula home, the Pre Columbian Indians also called The Osa home for hundreds of years, leaving only their pottery and graves as evidence of their existence. Years later Spanish Conqistdore, Sir Frances Drake, and pirates arrived. Today only a few remaining Guyami Indians occupy The Osa, and are the direct descendants of the original Pre-Columbian Indians that once lived here. These indigenous cultures have been living sustainably and in harmony for hundreds of years and hold many secrets of living sustainably.

For ALL festival information including tickets, lodging, transportation, camping and artist line-up please visit http://www.rainforestaid09.com/ . Incredible festival video can be seen by visiting the website.

Purchase Your Festival Passes Online Here!