No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaIllegal Logging: The Critical Situation Threatening Costa Rica's Environment

Illegal Logging: The Critical Situation Threatening Costa Rica’s Environment

Illegal logging poses a threat to the preservation of the environment in various regions of Costa Rica, including the Northern Zone, the Southern Pacific, and Limón, which have already been identified as areas where this practice has expanded.

The Environmental Prosecutor’s Office describes the situation as critical. Data shows an increase in the number of reports of this crime, as confirmed by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).

The problem of increased illegal logging is attributed to the expansion of monoculture plantations.

“Infringements to the Forestry Law are number one in the list of complaints in SINAC’s platform and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Logging is done to promote pineapple, palm, banana, cultivation and even drug trafficking,” explained Luis Diego Hernández, coordinating prosecutor of the Environmental Deputy Prosecutor’s Office.

Over the last few years, environmental organizations have denounced the agricultural expansion of monocultures. This has caused conflict, as the activity occurs in areas bordering Protected Wildlife Areas and wetlands.

“We have identified certain areas as having the highest incidence, such as Limón, specifically Pocococí, and Talamanca; the Northern Zone, such as Upala, Los Chiles, San Carlos; and the Southern Pacific, Buenos Aires,” added Silvia Solís, prosecutor of the Environmental Deputy Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the latest study by Monitoring Land Use and Land Cover Change in Productive Landscapes (MOCUPP), between 2015 and 2019, Costa Rica lost 1,200 hectares of tree coverage due to pineapple farming activity.

Organizations such as “Bloque Verde” have questioned why the country is highlighting new initiatives for productive agro-landscapes in international forums when the country’s reality is quite different.

“The Costa Rican government’s announcement at COP27 makes no sense and lacks veracity. It aims to create climate finance mechanisms for agribusiness based on lies and are grouped in a larger category called false solutions to climate change,” claimed the environmental group.

Environmentalists want the government and institutions to focus on solving the problems faced by protected areas. Forests are essential, and the lack of tree coverage would intensify the impact of climatic change.

Resources must be allocated to stop illegal logging, the opening of trails, the entry of machinery, logging during closed periods, and other unlawful activities that threaten to destroy Costa Rica’s natural heritage.

Trending Now

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

A Costa Rica Love Story: From Rustic Cabina to Separate Dreams

My Tica wife and I have been together for over a quarter century. When we met, I was living a simple life here. Three...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

Costa Rican Court Orders Release of Migrants Deported Under Trump Deal

A court on Tuesday ordered Costa Rican authorities to release foreign migrants who had been detained in a shelter after being deported under an...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica