Since sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica began in the 1950s, conservationists and poachers have peacefully shared the beach. But the murder of the environmentalist Jairo Mora Sandoval in 2013 shocked the eco-friendly country and brought attention to a violent overlap between conservationism and drug trafficking in Costa Rica’s abundant national parks and untouched coastlines.
With five per cent of the world’s biodiversity, the unique geography of Costa Rica is a hotspot for eco-tourism and conservation work. However, it is that same geography that makes the country so vulnerable to the violent drug trade that surrounds its borders. Costa Rica has become a major transshipment point for drug traffickers, with deadly consequences for those caught in the middle.
VICE News travels to Costa Rica to commemorate the two-year anniversary of environmental activist Jairo Mora Sandoval’s tragic death and meet with conservationists, poachers, drug dealers, and law enforcement about the intersecting criminality across the country.
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The unsolved murders of environmental activists in Costa Rica have shaken the country's eco-friendly tourist image and has exposed an apparent growing violent overlap between animal poaching and drug trafficking on the country's coast.
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I am shell shocked
You did more harm to the sea turtles then Donald trump
I like Western people that travel to other countries to stop locals from poaching animals but don't stop their own people from poaching oil and minerals which if given to the locals at fair price would alleviate poverty and stop poaching of animals.
End the war on drugs, de-criminalize all and legalize the lesser harmful drugs thereby no more drug problems.
It is immoral to attempt to police what any individual might want to ingest.
It has become clear that the majority of problems with drugs are due to the laws against the drugs themselves.
Start importing live chickens, set up some type of charity where people who want to save the turtles they donate money to buy live chickens then the people can eat the chicken eggs instead. I dunno just an idea
Convert poachers to protectors with pay so they can afford to eat.
They need a bandit that fights for the turtles. With a 50cal sniper rifle with a night scope. A small group could stop this stupidity pretty quick. The best poacher is a dead poacher. Period.
There will come a time where our earth will not be able to sustain human lives. It will stop bearing fruits and vegetables. Our animals will become extinct. The water will be poisoned. Man is too greedy. It will destroy itself. I thank God my time is near. I pray there is no such thing as reincarnation. There were good times here back in my days but now I see nothing but hardship all around the world. Will there ever be a time where we all can live in harmony? I think never. I only can mourn for the meek and mild. There will be no protection for them. Evil rules the world.
WTF…why eat the eggs/shells? and that dudes part of a 'conservation effort'?? yeah seems like it.
Tan liinda es mi Costa Rica wiip!
If your worried about having to deal with crimes with gangs and cartels when you take a visit don’t worry because crime here is very low unlike Guatemala. If you stay at a good resort or some place like that you won’t get involved with any stuff like that. It’s a really really awesome place to visit and I recommend it
Well this explains why my provinces premier has a property in Costa rica. Guys a real scumwad
bring guns in thats the only language the poachers will understand
I remember seeing this video before coming to Costa Rica and being worried. I've been here five months now and this story is really shocking because it's very safe here and the police are very proactive and helpful. This oversight must've shocked costa rica citizens as much as the rest of the world.
I’m native Costarican and got to try turtle eggs. Hated them because you eat them raw, and they taste very salty but the worst is the tough slippery yolk which wasn’t easy for me to swallow. It’s very saddening what’s happening with poachers and drug traffickers though.
He is a conservationist and he encourage someone to eat the eggs?? Huge contradiction
Damn, there's more shots being fired in these comments and replies than there are on those beaches!
I forgot Costa Rica exists
Just spread fake rumours that turtle eggs makes you infertile it will stop buying real quick
The subtitles have carlos saying "almost all my life poaching has been like a tradition." Thats not what he said.
He is not calling himself a poacher or what he did as poaching. Its a huge difference to what hes actually saying
Well het they can just come here Biden will let them in and give them citizenship so that they and their children will vote for his party I'm the future securing them a new large voting base
Why not farm the turtles.
Just buy the eggs of them in bulk and hatch them you will save so many lives and gain a lot of species in return that in time will be abundant that people will not pay for them since they can be found in abundance, remember the attraction is endangered species. If they are not endangered the demand falls drastically.
Why don't they relocate the eggs? is that what they do? I heard through the grapevine that turtles and salmon and so many saltwater and freshwater animals return to lay eggs at the location they were born if they keep displacing the turtles they might eventually stop going to that beach entirely
Wow. The CIA does some really in-depth journalism.
These
agentsinvestigative reporters go far & deep.What are these people going to do once they kill every sea turtle 🐢?
Ignorance is strong in Costa Rica!!
These poachers are so stealthy they pretend they're not poachers
We are all endangered when we act out of greed, there is no hope for a man with no faith.
Intersting video because I have over four decades of experience in some of these environments that are way off the gringo trail of Eco-Tourism and Enviro-activists. Keep in mind, I think the turtle are vulnerable and need to be protected. But are you the gringo from North America willing to come down to places like this and put your life on the line week in week out, month in month out, year in and year out? I tend to doubt your willingness to commit on that level. However, if you are are dirt poor scumbag poacher trying to make a few colones to feed his family…
Hard to stay on top of this with so much corruption
I need a documentary on illegal online casinos stationed in Costa rica
Just don’t support this country with tourism – don’t go there
Maybe stop using the words "poachers" and "stealing" for people who are looking for food to survive.
Another Paradies lost.
So hard to hear. They feel sorry for the poachers. They want to be friendly to keep lines of communication open. These are criminals they're trying to be friendly to. Murderers.