x This document is a part of The Osa and Golfito Initiative, Human dimension of the marine ecosystems of the Osa and Golfito Region Catalina Molina-Bustamante Larry Crowder Biologists & Researchers San José, Costa Rica August, 2014 ! ! Human&Dimension&of&the& Marine&Ecosystems&of&the& Osa&and&Golfito&Region& ! ! Catalina'Molina*Bustamante' Larry'Crowder' ! Biologists!&!Researchers! ! ! ! ! Stanford!Woods!Institute!for!the!Environment! Stanford!University! ! ! & This!document!is!part!of:! Osa&and&Golfito&Initiative,&INOGO& ! ! ! San&José,&Costa&Rica& August&2014& ! ! ! ! ! i! Citation! ! ! !! Molina*Bustamante,!C!y!L.!Crowder.!2014.!! Human!Dimension!of!the!Marine!Ecosystems!of!the! Osa!and!Golfito!Region.!San!José,! Costa! Rica:!INOGO,!Stanford!Woods!Institute!for!the! Environment.!Stanford!University.!August,!2014.! ! ! ! ! ii! TABLE!OF!CONTENTS! & ACRONYMS&.............................................................................................................................................................&V! OSA&AND&GOLFITO&INITIATIVE&OVERVIEW&.............................................................................................&VII! WHAT!IS!INOGO!.....................................................................................................................................................................!VII! THE!INOGO!STUDY!REGION!..................................................................................................................................................!IX! EXECUTIVE&SUMMARY&.......................................................................................................................................&1! CHAPTER&1.! BIOLOGICAL&FEATURES&.........................................................................................................&2! 1.1.!DESCRIPTION!OF!THE!BIOGEOGRAPHY!..........................................................................................................................!2! 1.2!HABITATS!AND!BIODIVERSITY!.........................................................................................................................................!3! I.! The'Golfo'Dulce:'the'only'tropical'fjord'with'an'anoxic'bottom'..............................................................'4! II.! Mangroves'of'the'Golfo'Dulce'................................................................................................................................'5' III.! Coral'reefs'and'coral'communities'of'the'Golfo'Dulce'and'the'Caño'Island'Biological'Reserve ' 6! IV.! Térraba*Sierpe'National'Wetland:'the'largest'mangrove'estuary'in'the'country'and'its' biodiversity'..............................................................................................................................................................................'7! V.! Wildlife'aggregations'................................................................................................................................................'8! Whale!and!dolphin!aggregations!...................................................................................................................................................................!8! Sea!Turtles!..............................................................................................................................................................................................................!9! Nesting!sites!.........................................................................................................................................................................................................!10! Whale!Shark!aggregations,!and!other!sharks!and!rays!.....................................................................................................................!11! VI.! Human'communities'in'the'Osa'and'Golfito'Region'................................................................................'11! A!general!overview!of!the!region’s!demography!.................................................................................................................................!11! CHAPTER&2.! THE&HUMAN&DIMENSION&....................................................................................................&14! 2.1!MARINE!ECOSYSTEM!SERVICES!AND!HUMAN!WELLBEING!.......................................................................................!14! I.! Communities'Livelihoods'based'on'marine'assets'in'the'Osa'and'Golfito'Region'.........................'17! Tourism!and!recreation!..................................................................................................................................................................................!17! Recreational!fishing!..........................................................................................................................................................................................!18! Small!scale!fisheries!..........................................................................................................................................................................................!19! Cockle!harvesting!...............................................................................................................................................................................................!22! II.! Coastal'communities'characterization'...........................................................................................................'23! 2.2!MARINE!ASSETS!GOVERNANCE!AND!STAKEHOLDER!PARTICIPATION!....................................................................!28! I.! Governance'of'the'marine'territory'...................................................................................................................'28! !Marine!Responsible!Fishery!Area!..............................................................................................................................................................!32! Terrestrial!Maritime!Zone!(Zona!Maritimo!Terrestre,!ZMT)!..........................................................................................................!33! Marine!Protected!Areas!...................................................................................................................................................................................!34! II.! Citizen'Stakeholders'of'the'Osa'and'Golfito'marine'region'...................................................................'38! III.! Stakeholders'Network'and'Linkages'..............................................................................................................'44! CHAPTER&3.! MARINE&ECOSYSTEMS&HEALTH&AND&THE&WELLBEING&OF&COASTAL& COMMUNITIES:&CHALLENGE&AND&THREATS&.............................................................................................&47! 3.1!LAND!USE!CHANGES!AND!DOWNSTREAM!EFFECTS:!A!LONG!STANDING!THREAT!IN!THE!OSA!AND!GOLFITO! REGION!.....................................................................................................................................................................................!47! I.! The'Térraba*Sierpe'National'Wetland'.............................................................................................................'48! II.! The'Golfo'Dulce'..........................................................................................................................................................'49! 3.2!UNSUSTAINABLE!FISHERIES!..........................................................................................................................................!52! I.! Shrimp'fisheries'..........................................................................................................................................................'52! II.! Large'scale'fisheries:'the'case'of'tuna'fishing'..............................................................................................'53! The!case!of!tuna!farm!project!.......................................................................................................................................................................!54! III.! Shark'finning'............................................................................................................................................................'55' ! iii! 3.3!CLIMATE!CHANGE!AND!ITS!CONSEQUENCES!FOR!THE!REGION!OF!STUDY!.............................................................!56! I.! The'Warming'Events:'El'Nino'Southern'Oscillation'...................................................................................'56! 3.4!EMERGING!THREATS!......................................................................................................................................................!58! I.! The'Diquís'Hydroelectric'Project'........................................................................................................................'58! II.! Crocodile'Bay'Marina'Project'..........................................................................................................................'59! The!Crocodile!Bay!Marina,!as!described!by!Crocodile!Bay!representatives!............................................................................!60! The!opposition!to!the!Crocodile!Bay!Marina!..........................................................................................................................................!60! Comparative!analysis!of!opportunities!and!threats!............................................................................................................................!63!