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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
George Bush's Former Oil Firm Threatens Important Nesting Sites for Endangered Atlantic Green and Leatherback Sea Turtles in Costa Rica |
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SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA, Jan. 30 -/E-Wire/--
Texas oil company Harken Energy Corporation is vigorously seeking the approval of the Government of Costa Rica to exploit petroleum and natural gas off the Costa Rican Caribbean port of Moin, Limón. With just a few days until the Feb. 3 presidential elections usher in a new administration with new environmental policies, the raging controversy over oil exploration in Costa Rica is assuming a more urgent tone, as opponents turn up the pressure on the government to close the door on U.S. oil interests looking to drill in areas that would threaten the country's unique natural resources.
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The US-based CNN news network will air a story today about the escalating controversy.
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Tortugero National Park, just 50 km away from the proposed drilling site, is the most important nesting site of green turtles in the hemisphere. Just 30 km south is the Gandoca Wildlife Refuge, where hundreds of leatherback sea turtles nest each season. Sea turtles migrate and forage along the coastal waters in the sea grass beds and coral reefs of Costa Rica's Atlantic coast.
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"Any leaks or spills, like the recent major incidents off Brazil and the Galáp agos, would devastate Costa Rica's globally important sea turtle populations, as well as other fragile biological resources of the region," said Roxana Silman, Costa Rican Director of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC). "Local economies are dependent on these resources, and their degradation could destroy the livelihoods of thousands of Caribbean families."
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CCC began studying and protecting the now world-famous turtles of Tortuguero over 40 years ago. CCC's efforts led to the establishment of Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica's first publicly protected area, and the development of a model ecotourism industry on the Caribbean coast. Sea turtles have become an emblem of sustainable ecotourism in Costa Rica, attracting visitors from all over the world, who come to enjoy the experience of a life time—watching a sea turtle emerge from the ocean to nest. Many Costa Rican's fear that an entire way of life would be threatened by a single oil mishap.
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Scientists around the world fear that development in the region would threaten what many now refer to as the "cradle" of Atlantic sea turtle populations. More than 800 sea turtle biologists and conservationists unanimously approved a resolution at last year 's 21st International Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, which called for the Costa Rican government to ban all oil exploration in its Caribbean marine areas. According to these scientists, the drilling not only threatens globally significant sea turtle nesting beaches, but also endangers several species of sea turtles that use the offshore areas for mating and migration.
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Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, a grassroots movement to stop the drilling continues to grow. Over the past two years, more than 40 organizations including indigenous groups, development associations, tourism boards, local communities, business owners, fishermen groups, environmental organizations, ecotourism operators and religious leaders have been working as a coalition to stop Harken Energy Corporation's plans to extract oil from their environmentally fragile tropical coast.
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When current Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodrú„uez was inaugurated in 1998, his first order of business was to sign an international agreement that his government would collaborate with neighboring governments in Nicaragua and Panama to conserve sea turtles. Under his administration, protection of turtles has never been stronger, with poaching of nesting turtles and their eggs reduced to a minimum in recent years. Thus, CCC and conservation-minded Costa Ricans are baffled that the government would risk exposing its fragile coastal and marine resources, and its globally important sea turtles and nesting beaches to the threats posed by oil development.
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Harken's oil development was frozen last September when Costa Rica's Supreme Court sided with indigenous communities who argued that they had not been adequately consulted in the decision to move forward with oil exploration. But Costa Rican courts later reversed part of the earlier finding, allowing the company to submit an application to support its plans to drill for oil offshore. International advocacy groups have joined Costa Rican environmental groups in developing an international campaign to stop the oil development.
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"Florida's governor, President Bush's brother, has opposed offshore oil development in his state due to concerns about how a spill could affect tourism," said Silman. "Costa Rican citizens feel the same way about our natural resources and our economy."
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A final decision about whether to allow offshore oil drilling is expected from the Costa Rican government at any time.
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The Caribbean Conservation Corporation, based in Florida and Costa Rica, is the oldest sea turtle research and conservation group in the world. Founded by legendary sea turtle expert Dr. Archie Carr in 1959, CCC has been studying and protecting sea turtles in the Caribbean for over 40 years. To learn more about CCC, its conservation programs and hands-on volunteer programs, or to become a member, visit CCC on-line at www.cccturtle.org or call (800) 678-7853.
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