Courtesy of SINAC
The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) discovered dead birds, as a result of the construction of an illegal dam in the South Zone.
The discovery was made by officials of the National Wetland Térraba Sierpe, after a follow up of an environmental complaint for illegal dredging in the area of Los Zacarianos.
Officials checked the construction of a 240-meter long dam (with 1.5 meters wide and one meter of depth). Furthermore, the construction of an illegal 500-meter path was found.
They also found a water pump with an extraction line of 25.4 centimeters of radio. Such works are being carried out without authorization from the Department of Water,”
said the SINAC.
Julio Solano, an official of the entity, said the dead birds were located in a rice field with a small lagoon, from where the pump is making the extraction.
The environmental authorities assume that the dead animals are the result of polluting pesticides in the rice field. Cornfields were also observed in the flooded area of the Sierpe River,”
said the institution in a statement.
It was not possible to locate the suspects.
According to SINAC, the National Wetland Térraba Sierpe was declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention.
In addition, mangrove ecosystems are protected by various laws, such as the Organic Law of the Environment and the Biodiversity Act, “because of their importance in the dynamics of coastal marine populations and associated environmental services.”