Letter to the Tico Times:

There is a battle going on for the soul of Costa Rica, and it is taking place in the Golfo Dulce. Southern Zone locals, fishermen, surfers, environmentalists and those with tourism-related businesses are fighting efforts to put a tuna farm in some of the most pristine waters in the world. This issue has re-emerged and is close to final approval.

This is a classic example of a few powerful wealthy foreigners seeking private profits to the detriment of everyone. Granjas Atuneras S.A. is a Venezuelan and Spanish company looking to place between 10 and 100 cages measuring 50 meters in diameter and 20 meters in depth just outside of the mouth of the Golfo Dulce. The tuna would be corralled by helicopters, nets, dynamite and speedboats hundreds of miles out to sea and then dragged back to the Golfo Dulce to be placed in the cages.

The problems with this project are immense, beyond the deceptive approach, lack of transparency and accountability of its promoters, and include:

• The death and destruction of fish that don't survive the netting and 30-day towing process. Many dolphin, marlin, sailfish, tuna and other marine life will die in the process.

• A no-fishing zone will hurt local fishermen and negatively impact the community.

• The use of huge amounts of feed to fatten up the tuna so they can be sold and flown to Japan will cause many problems.   Frozen sardines brought over from Peru can contaminate local waters with foreign elements introducing new viruses and unknown illness to the local ecosystem. This has been documented in Australia and the Mediterranean Sea.

• The cages will pose a serious risk to sea turtles, humpback whales, whale sharks and other marine life that passes through the mouth of the Golfo Dulce.

• Many tuna will die in captivity due to stress and weakened immune systems. These dead fish and feed debris will attract sharks and other unwanted predators in waters that are enjoyed by local surfers, divers and tourists.

• The concentrated fecal matter from the caged tuna will add another blow to the environmental balance of this fragile ecosystem. This may pose the biggest threat to the Golfo Dulce. Even the company admits an eight-year viability window before the waters are spent and it needs to move on. Those with personal experience from Maine to Panama to Australia can attest the environmental damage and degradation of local waters of these projects.

This is an unnatural and destructive process that will add no local benefit. It will only add death and contamination to one of our last virgin waters. The only ones to benefit will be the closely held owners and their favored politicians.

President Oscar Arias, what type of legacy do you want to leave? Please help us save the Golfo Dulce and Costa Rica's reputation as a defender of natural splendor at a time when it is most under attack.

Jonathan Haas
Pavones