Trust for the Conservation and Management of Marine Protected Areas in Costa Rica (Coco Island National Park and Seamounts Marine Management Area)

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Published on Thursday, 09 February 2012 17:00

Written by MarViva

(Publímetro). The conservation foundation MarViva today announced the creation of a trust of at least two million dollars that will be used to support the conservation of Costa Rica’s marine areas, especially Coco Island, a World Heritage Site.

At a press conference, MarViva president Roberto Artavia indicated that this trust with the private company Aldesa will be used to buy a patrol boat that will be donated to the Ministry of Security’s National Coast Guard Service.

Artavia also explained that it will be possible to invest in training for personnel on issues of biodiversity as well as scientific research.

This initiative will promote the protection of Coco Island, recognized globally as a World Heritage Site and one of the richest natural marine areas on the planet due to the presence of hundreds of species including sea turtles, sharks and corals, many of them unique in the world.

It will also encompass the Seamount Marine Management Area around Cocos Island, a feeding, resting and transit site for hundreds of species that move around the Pacific.
This area, created last March via a decree by Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, is considered an "oasis" in the American Pacific and it is the second largest marine protected area in the region after the Galapagos Islands.

The main threats to Costa Rican marine areas are illegal fishing and shark finning, the practice of capturing sharks, cutting off their fins and throwing the body back into the sea.

The design of the trust will allow other organizations to make donations that MarViva hopes will also reach two million dollars.

At the press conference, Costa Rican Vice-minister of the Environment Ana Lorena Guevara stressed the importance of public-private partnerships for improving protection in the nation’s rich marine areas.

Guevara said that the Government has many goals to fulfill by 2014, including reaching agreements for marine protection and improving coordination in this aspect with countries such as Panama, Ecuador and Colombia, with which Costa Rica has marine borders.

She also stated that there is a project for the creation of an extensive and strong marine protected area system, similar to the one that covers nearly 30% of the nation’s territory with national parks and conservation areas.

More funds for patrolling Cocos Island

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Published on Thursday, 09 February 2012 16:46

Written by Super User

(La Nación). In order to ensure the money necessary to fund marine patrolling tasks at Cocos Island the Seamounts, the MarViva Foundation has created a trust with an initial endowment of $2 million.

The funds will earn interest that will cover maintenance and fuel costs of the patrol vessel that MarViva will donate to the National Coast Guard Service in the coming weeks; the vessel will be assigned to control and surveillance tasks in these marine protected areas.

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Billion colon trust for the conservation of marine protected areas

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Published on Thursday, 09 February 2012 16:50

Written by MarViva

(Radio Reloj). A contract signed by MarViva with ALDESA Trusts will designate two million dollars directly to the management and conservation of marine protected areas in the Costa Rican Pacific.

The objective is to ensure sustainable financial support to the Government of Costa Rica for marine control and surveillance tasks. The funds will be used by MarViva to donate more modern equipment for patrolling the Pacific Ocean, especially Cocos Island.

MarViva director general Jorge Jiménez explained that the strategy of establishing a trust is based on the need to ensure the present and future availability of resources for effectively protecting relevant marine areas.

These funds will be used immediately, with the promise that inspections will assure their allocation to specific surveillance actions.

SINAC to receive 2 million dollars for protected area conservation

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Published on Thursday, 09 February 2012 16:45

Written by MarViva

(Costa Rica Hoy). Thanks to a two million dollar trust, the Coast Guard will be able to improve surveillance in coastal protected areas, such as Cocos Islands. The trust is the outcome of an agreement between the MarViva Foundation and Aldesa Trusts.

This money will be distributed through the National Conservation Area System (SINAC) and it will be allocated to improving the Coast Guard patrol boat fleet for surveillance.

Additional donations to the trust will allow the implementation of biological monitoring to evaluate the effect of patrolling on marine species. Consideration will also be given to investing the interest in the maintenance of other vessels or equipment available for the protection and surveillance of the Marine Protected Areas.

The Foundation has contributed equipped boats, crews and funds for all operational expenses required for joint patrolling operations. This is being executed per a tripartite collaborative agreement with SINAC and the National Coast Guard Service.