Faraaz Abdool advocates eco-tourism – using the example of Costa Rica – as the way to preserve Trinidad and Tobago’s natural diversity and create a people-based economy. Could the people of TT get behind such a bold initiative?
Life is a dynamic, fluid experience, and we could do ourselves a tremendous favour by ensuring that the process of learning – and therefore growth – is continuous.
This holds true for the individual, as well as for the collective. The word “ecotourism” is gaining traction in conversations throughout the region, and while it may be new ground for us, there are many countries that have been sustainably utilising their natural wealth for economic gain.
Within the discussion of nature-based tourism, few places are mentioned as frequently as Costa Rica. Often hailed as the gold standard of ecotourism, Costa Rica is the most-visited nation in Central America and one of the most popular destinations in the world. Visitors flock to the relatively small country to sample a wide variety of natural wonders.
[caption id="attachment_1068382" align="alignnone" width="481"] At Monteverde, Costa Rica's Cloud Forest, clouds and canopy merge. High moisture-levels promote a high level of biodiversity. Photo courtesy Tim Baker -[/caption]
It wasn’t always this idyllic paradise. In the early 1900s, vast swathes of land were used for agriculture and logging. Sport hunting was also a major economic activity, capitalising on a biodiverse land.
With this level of abuse, species began disappearing, and the authorities took notice. In 1996, a law banning destruction of mature forests was passed, and this has resulted in more non-forest land being converted into cropland as they seek to preserve mature forest habitat which is one of the strongest mitigators of climate change.
This bold move addressed one of the two main drivers of animal extinction, habitat loss. Addressing another factor of wildlife decimation
– hunting – demanded another, even bolder move from the Costa Rican government.
Despite claims by the Costa Rican Hunters Association that a ban on hunting would result in increased poaching, all forms of sport hunting were made illegal in 2012.
[caption id="attachment_1068383" align="alignnone" width="601"] Ecotourism affords visitors and locals safe, natural settings to observe and appreciate wild animals such as this spectacled caiman spotted on a river tour. Photo courtesy Tim Baker -[/caption]
This was after several years of court battles, with proponents of the ban arguing that an activity that benefited a relatively small section of the population while negatively affecting the quality of life of the nation was anti-democratic by nature. A significant portion of the economic activity of sport hunting consisted of foreign hunters in pursuit of exotic feline predators, with another sector interested in capturing colourful parrots for the pet trade.
There was no way to justify the impacts of these extractive and unsustainable practices, and amidst the pushback, Costa Rica made interna
