Eco-Tourism Overflow: local implications of

restrictive conservation management

Sarah Durose1, David Jones1 and Rebeca Chaverri1
1Global Vision International Costa Rica, Apartado Postal 78-7209, Cariari de Pococí, Limón, Costa Rica.

Email: costarica@gvi.co.uk

Peculiarities of Caño Palma

The Caño Palma (CP) waterway in several fincas, a biological station and Visitantes PNT (PMV) produced by the
Costa Rica is in a peculiar situation.
Located inside the southern extent of
the small village of San Francisco. As a
narrow blackwater canal typical of the
regional and national environmental and
conservation government agencies. The
Overflow of
Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge local Raphia taedigera swamp forests, its year end figures for visitors to PNT for boats onto Caño Palma
(REBACO) but just eight kilometers north richness of biodiversity is appealing to 1983 were just over 1300 people, by
of Tortuguero National Park (PNT), it is the local tourist industry for the ease of 2003 that figure had reached just under from restrictive management
affected more by the ecotourism of its
neighbour than the managerial issues
spotting iconic fauna such as monkeys,
toucans, and even, on occasion, wild-
68,000. From a brief study in March 2004
they estimated that of the five legally
of PNT?
associated with the northern majority cats. accessible waterways for PNT and the Even though total daily limits may not be exceeded, there
of REBACO. The waterway itself func- Despite not belonging to PNT it was immediate area, CP received over 38% of is an apparent bias of activity during times that wildlife is
tions as an access to two tourist lodges, included in the Plan de Manejo de the boat traffic (MINAET, 2004). more active and at times when people are going to and
from the lodges for work purposes.

Eco Tourism on the increase
In January 2006 Global Vision International
Costa Rica (GVICR) began an ongoing long-
term study of boat traffic along CP. The num-
ber of visitors to PNT has seen a near 100%
increase since those figures in 2003 (Table 1).
Unlike the PNT waterways, the traffic stresses
on CP are not strictly controlled by PNT Rang-
ers, nor are they limited to the slow moving
traffic tour boats and canoes, as in the National
Park.
Year Total Visitors to PNT
2006 103,121
2007 117,661
2008 134,690
The study is conducted from the biological
station, approximately 2km north of the CP riv-
ermouth. Surveys are conducted on a weekly
basis between 06:00 and 18:00 and the days
surveyed are varied as much as possible. Two
Figure 1: Year on year estimated number of boats passing Caño Palma per month, over the period 2007-2009.
4000
Tortuguero has visitors all year round; however it is appar-
ent from the data collected that there are main tourist peaks
personnel conduct the survey, each taking a six month duration.
between December to March and July to August, thus in-
hour shift, and record information on number creasing boat traffic.
Figure1 represents the year on year estimat-
of passengers, engine size and type, passage ed number of boats passing Caño Palma per Although CP is not within the boundaries of PNT it has been
time, boat name and associated lodge or com- month over the period 2007-2009. regarded by the PMV as an area of overflow when demand
pany, each time a boat passes the station. for PNT canals exceeds the limits set by MINAET. The data
The PMV designates time category restric-
presented here appears to confirm that CP is heavily uti-
Since the survey started in January 2006 there tions for CP to distribute the stresses evenly
lized for tourism purposes.
have been a total of 5,781 records of boats over the day, with 10 boats permitted per time
passing Caño Palma. category. These data are displayed in Fig. 2. Both MINAET figures and data collected by GVICR indi-
No. of Records by year: In contrast to PNT, Caño Palma has a level of cate that boat-traffic and tourism are consistently increas-
private traffic which the data reflects: between ing. Such increases have the potential for environmental
2006* 895 2007 1424
2007-2009 67% of boats using the canal were impacts, both through direct and indirect actions of the
2008 1845 2009 1617 tourist related, and 33% were private boats. ecotourism industry
*Data for 2006 is presented for illustrative purposes for total records, but Data collated over the three years shows that Possible early indications of change are beginning to emerge
is not used in further analysis due to a high variation in effort.
Table 1 (MINAET) the number of boats passing Caño Palma ex- through other studies conducted by GVICR. Diversity of
Monthly estimates were determined by av- ceeds these limits during the hours of 06:00– aquatic avifauna surveyed on CP is lower than correspond-
eraging the total activity recorded during the 08:00, 08:00-12:00 and again from 16:00-
ing surveys on PNT canals. Types of species are also known
surveys over the months in which they were 18:00.
to be different. For example, Nyctanassa violacea, a species
conducted. The increase in the number of boats utilizing
known to nest in residential areas (Liguori, 2003), has been
The PMV figures for usage of CP (max. 60 the canal appear to follow tourism recorded
regularly recorded on CP (251 records) between 2007-
boats per day) are adjusted for variations in in Tortuguero (see Figures 3-5). 09, but not in PNT (16 records) (GVICR, unpublished). In
Figure 3: Comparison of number of boats on Caño Palma with number of visitors to
2009 GVICR also first recorded the presence of Quiscalus
Tortuguero National Park, 2007 mexicanus - a species common to urbanized and degraded
2500 20000 areas - at the station ( Jones et al, 2009).
18000

Whilst inconclusive, bird species are known to be good in-

Estimated number of boats

2000 16000
3500
14000
dicator species and this area warrants further investigation,
Total visitors

1500 12000
3000 10000
1000 8000 especially in light of the fact that the major difference be-
Estimated number of boats

tween PNT and CP is human presence and utilization.

2500 6000
500 4000
2000
2000
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
0 Such differences make the control of these areas a cause for
1500 concern. It is imperative to continue monitoring the num-
1000
ber of boats associated with tourism utilizing Caño Palma,
Figure 4: Comparison of number of boats on Caño Palma with number of visitors to
Tortuguero National Park, 2008
in order to gauge the effectiveness of the current manage-
ment strategies. However the conflict between the need
500

2500 20000
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
18000 to protect the area and the need for tourism – which gen-
erates revenue - will be a constant issue. The number of
2000 16000
Estimated number of boats

14000

Figure 2: Boat traffic during set time categories stipulated in the PNT management plan, over 85 surveys. 1500 12000
visitors is on the increase, and no matter how many legal
Total visitors

10000
1000 Time Category
1000 8000
6000
restrictions are placed on the area, there has to be practical
500 4000 control and implementation of the restrictions.
800 2000
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
0 Interestingly, restrictions imposed to provide relief and
600 protection to the area of PNT appears here to have a wider
spread impact as demand continues to increase. The over-
400
Figure 5: Comparison of number of boats on Caño Palma with number of visitors to arching implication of this study appears to be the need
Tortuguero National Park, 2009
4000
for a holistic approach management and enforcement in
18000
the area. Positively, both protected areas are managed and
200

3500 16000

0 3000
14000 considered together by MINAET and so it is hoped that
Estimated number of boats

2500
12000 increased knowledge of the area, can help to inform man-
agement decisions to prevent the increasing popularity of
Total visitors

10000
2000

1500
8000
PNT irreversibly impacting the surrounding area.
6000

1000 4000

Author Contacts: 500 2000

References
GVI Costa Rica 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
0
Jones, D., Verissimo, D. & Chaverri, R (2009). Priceless monitoring without
cost: the significance of incidental detection of species to conservation ef-
costarica@gvi.co.uk forts. Poster, XIII Congreso de la SMBC Belize, 2009.
Liguori, S. (2003) Yellow-crowned night-heron Nyctanassa violacea. In B.E
The GVI Costa Rica Caño Palma Human Impact Study is carried out Beans& L Niles (Eds.) Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of New Jersey
in partnership with the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (MINAET). (pp. 40-45) Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
MINAET-SINAC. (2004). Plan de manejo del Parque Nacional Tortuguero
– Costa Rica. F.Bermúdez & C.Hernández. (Eds.) Guápiles, Limón. Retrieved
GVI Costa Rica wish to thank all the staff and volunteers who have contributed to the collection of data. from http://www.acto.go.cr/descargas/Elaborac_Plan_Man_Visit_PNT.pdf
Poster design: Theropod Design www.theropoddesign.co.uk
MINAET