COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER Residents of the southern Caribbean denounced the logging of trees in the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. They reported that the activity commenced on April 20, and trees were cut on a property 150 meters west of the Colibri Lodge, on the road from Manzanillo to Puerto Viejo. The trucks with the logs began to leave in the early morning of May 9. Five years ago, the Constitutional Court ordered the National System of Conservation Areas  (SINAC) to define 188 hectares of forest area within the refuge, which has not yet been done. Marta Castro, president of the Natural Resources Oversight Committees (CORIVENAS) of the Southern Caribbean, expressed her concern and denounced SINAC’s inactivity. “That land is within the 188 hectares that SINAC has to demarcate. Five years have passed in which SINAC has destroyed, bled, and given permits within the refuge and have not demarcated those 188 hectares,” she said. SINAC granted a logging permit for species such as pilon, panama, gavilan, jobo, sura, guacimo colorado, indio desnudo, sangrillo, guacimo, and javillo. This is a coastal forest within a protected area, and the species are indicative of a wetland zone. Following complaints from environmental groups, SINAC mentioned that “it is important to emphasize that the logging has been carried out in accordance with the Law and its regulations.” “The logging projects comply with all the requirements established in the regulations, specifically Decree 38863-MINAE and Forestry Law 7575, which was corroborated prior to the authorization of the logging permits, by means of an office review and a field visit,” SINAC stated. They also mentioned three monitoring visits have been made to the farm where the activity is taking place, to ensure everything is being done correctly. In addition to the destruction of the ecosystem located in the maritime-terrestrial zone, the impact on the corals is of concern. Ana María Arenas, from the Coral Commission of the Embajadores y Embajadoras del Mar Community Diving Center, explained the importance of preserving this forest. “It is essential to conserve that part of the refuge because the corals depend a lot on the biodiversity in the maritime-terrestrial zone and this balance is being broken,” she noted. Arenas pointed out that the wetland and forested area protect the corals from sedimentation and sewage, and it is already noticeable that the lack of planning is causing sewage from new construction from Cocles to Manzanillo to flow directly into the sea. Heavy rain and floods that hit the nation’s Caribbean and Northern regions on 21 June 2015 had left 25 communities isolated and forced over 500 people to evacuate their homes An improvement in the flood situation by 25 June 2015 allowed Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission (Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias – CNE) to announce that most of those displaced were able to return home Repairs to damaged roads and bridges had also been carried out By 27 June the country was faced with further torrential rain which has caused damage to roads and affected over 200 communities across 3 provinces of Limón the flooding and heavy rain has damaged 1,585 houses There are currently 19 communities isolated as a result of the flooding causing damage to transport infrastructure The canton of Sarapiqui in Heredia province is one of the worst affected areas Twelve communites located along the banks of the swollen Sarapiquí and Sucio rivers have been cut off there CNE have set up 12 shelters for those displaced by the floods Currently there are 745 people housed in the shelters Costa Rica’s Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) have issued red alert weather warnings for: A yellow level warning is in place for Alajuela province There are also green level warnings (lowest level) for the provinces of San José and Puntarenas Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList www.visitanicaragua.com | www.riosanjuan.com.ni  | www.mapanicaragua.com Copyright 2016 – 2025 | Todos los derechos reservados | Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo The banana is the world's most popular fruit crop and according to the Food and Agriculture Organization is the developing world's fourth most important food crop and an essential source of income and nutrition for millions of smallholder farmers parasites are putting the future of the fruit in jeopardy CropLife International explains how scientific advancements are able to tackle this and re-address the balance between global demand and food production The banana is the world’s most popular fruit crop. In fact, globally we eat a mammoth 100 billion bananas every year.* According to the Food and Agriculture Organization the fruit is the developing world’s fourth most important food crop and an essential source of income and nutrition for millions of smallholder farmers A parasite coined the “hidden enemy,” is threatening the availability of bananas on a global scale colorless in nature and less than 1 millimeter long penetrate the roots of banana plants by the thousands draining them of the water and nutrients needed for survival Infestations result in inexorable damage to the plants’ root structures opening the door for fungi and bacteria to enter the plant and wipe out the entire crop “Facilitating access to effective crop protection products is vital to allowing farmers to feed a rapidly growing population By harnessing scientific advancements we will be able to re-address the balance between global demand and food production.” this “hidden enemy” is a major threat — apart from being a major export earner for the nation the fruit is responsible for over 100,000 jobs employs 210 staff and exports 20 million kilograms of bananas annually He has experienced firsthand the level of damage nematodes can inflict on banana crops “They attack the roots of the banana plant which means that the plant doesn’t receive the water and micronutrients essential for a good crop the plant has no way of holding onto the ground and we lose everything,” he said Given its importance both domestically and globally, plant scientists like Rodolfo Ceciliano Solis, from Bayer CropScience have been working to develop a crop protection product to help control the nematode “I would say 90-95 percent of bananas in Costa Rica have a nematode problem,” Solis said within five to seven years the plantation will become contaminated.” Solis and his team have been working to tackle this and in 2009 they made a pioneering discovery While initially trialing a fungicide to treat banana leaves for a disease called Black Sigatoka they noted that the product was improving the health of the crop stem.* ► Food heroes: What it will take to achieve zero hunger ► PPPs: Planting the seeds of prosperity for Bangladeshi farmers ► The sorghum plant that could tackle blindness “I asked my assistant to make a root sampling and he showed me the roots had become completely healthy I had never seen anything like that,” he said A further examination under the microscope brought the team confirmation — the product was not only improving root health the substance does not enter the leaves or the fruit meaning we can directly target the pests in the roots of the crop to maximize safety.” cotton and a variety of other vegetables are also affected by nematode infestations Solis’ work could provide wide-reaching benefits “My job is to develop science for a better life to provide technologies to help farmers produce more so I was really proud to make a discovery that could benefit global food security,” he said farm director Salas has seen signs of recovery on his banana plantation “We have done one or two applications starting at the end of last year and have seen more healthy roots I expect more fruits for the coming years.” Facilitating access to effective crop protection products is vital to allowing Food Heroes such as Salas to feed a rapidly growing population we will be able to re-address the balance between global demand and food production 2017: This article has been updated to clarify that global consumption of bananas is some 100 billion pieces of the fruit every year and that Black Sigatoka is a leaf spot disease We are looking for more farmers and scientists to tell their story. Help us uncover the men and women that are securing food supplies for future generations so we can share their story. Submit your Food Heroes’ stories or your own story here A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us. ShareSaveBETAThis is a BETA experience. opt-out hereLifestyleTravel5 Great Local Meals in Puntarenas, Costa RicaByAdrienne Jordan Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Puntarenas is Costa Rica's largest province which spans Manuel Antonio National Park along the Pacific Coast in the north and the southern tip that touches Panama The region is replete with outdoor adventure where you can ATV through the soaring elevations of the mountains or maneuver the white water rapids down the Cordillera de Tilaran Traditional dishes are plentiful in Costa Rica The Gallo pinto (or "spotted rooster") is the national dish of Costa Rica Other popular dishes are arroz con pollo-rice with chicken stirred up and casados (mixed plates of food that consist of a protein Here are 5 local meals to try if you find yourself in Puntarenas: Planted in the village of Tarcoles (named after the Tarcoles River the Soda el Guacimo is as local as it gets There is no electricity or gas in the main kitchen the meals simmer inside large stainless steel pots over the all-wood fire kitchen For a traditional desayuno- or breakfast- you can order the Blue Runner fish with rice and beans which a type of fish usually used locally as bait Or if you're more of a chicken person you can choose the arroz con pollo which comes as rice and chicken mixed together along with a small tomato and lettuce salad In Pocares, following an Airbnb Experiences ATV tour you can have lunch on the family’s local property consisting of traditional Costa Rican cuisine: rice and sweet and spicy chicken prepared with the native Lizano salsa and seasoned with wild cilantro from the property's garden you stop off for an early dinner at the local Soda Garabito The restaurant is located in the bustling town of Jaco and offers a cafeteria style serving where you can order different dishes by a la carte One well-balanced meal could consist of fish you can order chicken flavored with local spices; white rice; black beans; slaw; and wrap it all up with a tortilla Antonio will send you a list of local experiences in the Punta Arenas area One of those suggestions is for a “Costa Rican Breakfast Served at the House” for $9.00 per person The a la carte options come with your choice of eggs; Costa Rica rice & beans ("Gallo Pinto"); plantains; breakfast potatoes; and fruit juice After a few heavy meals, you can get some cardio in (especially upper body) with the Kayak Jaco tour company which leads excursions along a stretch of a beautiful rocky outcrop along the Gulf of Nicoya in the Central Pacific region you pass by a cow farm down a smooth 2 km dirt road After maneuvering about 40 minutes or so in your kayak on the ocean the tour stops for an hour on the private Limencito beach which is covered with soft ash-colored sand Javascript Menu by Deluxe-Menu.com Heavy rains over the weekend stopped momentarily to reveal extensive flood damage across Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope As aid workers and security personnel worked to reestablish connections with isolated communities President Luis Guillermo Solís said he would consider declaring a national emergency in Limón Hundreds of people lost their homes and the government canceled classes for students across the province of Limón and the areas around Turrialba and Sarapiquí according to a statement from Casa Presidencial A red alert is still in effect for Turrialba Reports from the National Emergency Commission said that 1,585 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed by flooding There are 745 people living in 12 emergency shelters with the majority in Matina where 380 and 342 people are temporarily housed Casa Presidencial reported that 216 communities have been affected by flooding so far; 19 remain incomunicado along the Sucio A helicopter from Panama arrived Monday to assist in search and rescue and survey operations after flooding and landslides severed access between Limón and the Central Valley More than 20 highways and 11 bridges were affected The government to date has released more than $200,000 in emergency assistance The Education Ministry canceled classes from Monday through July 4 in Sarapaquí The ministry is developing a plan for students to make up the lost time See also: Crews continue working to remove debris from Costa Rica’s Route 32, which remains closed on Monday Follow wordpress-257819-2837440.cloudwaysapps.com for updated coverage of this story Fabricio Alvarado – a presidential candidate who just weeks before was at only three percent in some polls – capped off his upward surge by winning the first round of voting in Costa Rica’s national elections In no community did he receive a higher percentage of votes than in Pocora The Tico Times is pleased to translate David Bolaños’ in-depth feature, originally published by Radioemisoras UCR and the weekly Semanario Universidad examining the factors that led to Alvarado’s massive support in Pocora Read Part I here. In addition to its support for Fabricio Alvarado’s National Restoration Party (PRN) Limón showed the second-lowest voter turnout in the country on Feb Only in Guanacaste did fewer people head to the polls the campaign ranged from political disillusionment and hope for change Those three settlements are home to more than 27,000 people according to the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC) These are districts surrounded by pineapple or banana plantations where the roar of trucks passing by on the freeway never ceases This compares to a multidimensional poverty rate of just 18.8 percent on a national scale, according to the 2017 National Homes Survey (ENAHO) The UCR study indicates that the most extended scarcities in area homes are lack of human capital and of Internet access In this context of disillusionment and the desire for change the missing piece was a candidate to channel those feelings when the Inter-American Human Rights Court issued its ruling on gender identity and non-discrimination for same-sex couples in its member countries the evangelical Restoration Party received only 42 votes of the 2,600 that were cast in Pocora Residents admit that Fabricio Alvarado was rarely mentioned when the 2017-2018 campaign began Following the ruling, the candidate put himself on the political map with speeches about values with proposals such as “eliminating gender ideology,” overturning the executive decree that regulates in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the country and removing Costa Rica from the Inter-American Convention of Human Rights Unlike preacher Pedro Cubero (see Part I) the majority of pastors we interviewed in Pocora Matina and Carrandí denied promoting Alvarado in their congregations and all of them added that the candidate didn’t visit their communities the pastor and elementary teacher Ana Yaney Mora said that she did urge her hundreds of congregants in Pocora to “assess the principles and values” of the candidates to decide whom to support The clerics indicated there was a “click” that their congregants made on their own guided by the principles that Alvarado promises to uphold The candidate’s emphasis on traditional values helped him stand out from the pack deputy director of the University of Costa Rica’s Center for Research and Political Studies (UCR-CIEP) Post-electoral research from CIEP indicated that most people who supported the PRN in February said their priority was “defending traditional values.” being against abortion or same-sex marriage are the touchstones that Alvarado’s supporters mention most when explaining what they mean by principles and family values “The Christian principle,” responded María del Carmen Vallejo That with God made man and women,” responded Vallejo “We support him because he has the mind of Christ,” said the Pastor Thomas This article was originally published in Spanish at Radioemisoras UCR and  Semanario Universidad on March 6 by journalist David Bolaños and was translated by The Tico Times with the permission of those media partners