By Margaret Thompson & María Suárez Toro
 

Costa Rica (which in Spanish means "rich coast") is well known for having some of the world's richest biodiversity in rainforests and marine coastal areas along with extensive cultural diversity along the Atlantic Coast, which attracts a huge tourist industry as well as supports to lives and livelihoods of many residents.  Thus Costa Ricans and tourists are often shocked and outraged when they learn about the government´s oil concessions, which pose such a threat to the natural ecosystems and cultural diversity. 
 

The National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica estimates that 4 to 6% of the world´s species (an estimated 500,000) are found in this country, although the territory repesents just .01% of the planet.  As for fauna, Costa Rica has 295 species of trees, whereas Colombia has just 35 and Brazil has 6.

The green turtle, one of four turtle species that nests along the Atlantic coast in Costa Rica

The oil concessions to U.S. oil companies were granted by the Costa Rican government in the area of Talamanca, which has coral reefs, mangroves, sea turtle nesting beaches, rare manatees and over 100 species of fish, as well as dolphins, all of which are protected by Cahuita National Park and the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge.  Likewise, Talamanca´s rainforest has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.    Overall, 88% of Talamanca´s terrain is located in protected areas.

Listen to Emily Yozell, and attorney, activist, and 12-year resident of the Gandoca-Manzanillo region along the Atlantic Coast in Costa Rica as she describes the natural environment and history of the region:

Emily describes the Afro-Caribbean culture on the Atlantic Coast, which coexists peacefully along with indigenous people and other Costa Ricans, as well as people from around the world who have been attracted by the unique biological and cultural diversity of the region.  Provided by these multicultural local residents, Emily explains that eco-tourism has become a major source of income for the region, along with traditional local fishing and other activities:

Eco-tourism and Fishing Threatened by Oil Development Project
Eco-tourism in Talamanca is an important component in the local model of sustainable development because tourists come to the area to visit the many wildlife refuges and national parks, and local developers have worked hard to provide these services with minimal impact on the natural environment.   In a recent presentation by eco-tourism operators to the municipality of Limón, more than 38 thousand tourists they visited Tortuguero National Park in 1999, mainly to see the green turtle, generating $9 million in income for that area.  Further south on the Caribbean coast, 47,000 persons visited the Cahuita National Park that same year, including 19,918 foreigners, generating at least $5,637,000 for local businesses in the area.

"Nobody wants to vacation in [the oil drilling areas near] Maracaibo Venezuela,  nor the Tabasco coast off Mexico, nor in the area near Guayaquil in Ecuador." (Statement to Limon Municipality)

As a major port, Limón will welcome over 100 Caribbean cruise ships for the 2001-2002 season, which will bring over 100,000 tourists, and benefit taxi drivers, artisans and restaurants, according to tourism operators who testified at the public hearing in Limón.  Oil exploration is obviously incompatible with such tourist activity, as proven by the fact that few tourists want to vacation in the oil drilling areas of Maracaibo, Venezuela, or the Tabasco coast off Mexico, nor in the area near Guayaquil in Ecuador.

Also greatly concerned are fishermen and women along the Atlantic Coast, including those near Limón, who are already feeling the impact of the offshore oil drilling project.  Fishing provides 800 jobs directly to Limón, plus $11 million in income for the area.  Fishermen testified at the public hearing in July in Limón that they have already seen reductions in the amount of fish, shrimp, and lobster in the area since the seismic reflection test (involving 20,000 detonations) conducted last year during the lobster migration season by Harken to assess the amount of oil deposits beneath the sea bed.

FIRE interviewed Silvia Nelson, whose family fishes for a living in Limón.  She describes the decline in fish populations that they already see in the area near the offshore drilling project, and notes that the oil company has already backtracked on its original optimistic projections of economic benefits to the area from the oil development:

Opponents Fear "Environmentally Disastrous" Technology of Oil Industry
Alicia Casas of OilWatch/Costa Rica talked to FIRE about her concerns about the environmental disaster that could occur in Costa Rica as it has elsewhere in the event of an oil spill, especially given the lack of experience of Harken Energy Corporation with offshore drilling and sea platforms.  She noted the lack of appropriate technology for the Latin American region, and doubts the claims by Harken Energy Corporation that they could bring emergency equipment from Miami to Costa Rica within two hours to control any oil spills.  She also talked about the negative impact of oil development on indigenous populations as well as eco-tourism which is so important in the region:
 

Click to listen

Alicia Casas

Devastating Impact of Past Oil Explorations Leaves Painful Legacy on Indigenous Reserves
Oil exploration is not a new phenomenon in Costa Rica.  Attempts to exploit oil were made by both foreign companies and the government in the late 1970s and 80s, which showed that indeed there is an unknown quantity of black gold underlying the land.  However, according to ex-President Carazo Odio (1978-82), studies conducted at that time showed that the benefits of allowing exploitation were far outweighed by the negative impact on the inhabitants, communities and natural environment.

Specifically, several attempts have been made to exploit oil in the BriBri and Cabeca Reserves, and each time there has been a strong negative impact on their lives with the encroachment of hundreds of male workers with lifestyles foreign to that of the indigenous community.  Decades later, prostitution, alcohol and drug use still plague the lives of the reserve residents.

Listen to Emily as she describes what happened:

Return to main feature, "Costa Rica:  From Banana Republic to Oil Republic?"