The remote, coastal community of Ostional rests on the edge of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. It is the site of a unique natural phenomenon that has given rise to strong community institutions as well as ongoing international controversy.
Ostional is one of the few places in the world that experiences the incredible natural occurrence known as an Arribada, meaning arrival. During an Arribada, tens of thousands of female Olive Ridley sea turtles come ashore to nest at the same time. Within hours, the four mile, black, volcanic-sand beach becomes covered in more turtles than most people will experience in their lifetimes. The turtles slowly make their way from the pounding waves to the shore, clumsily climbing over washed up branches, stones, and even each other. They stop every few belabored steps to catch their breath and adjust to the shift in gravity that the land environment brings. Once they’ve selected a suitable location for their nest, they begin to dig with their back flippers, effectively evolved for this task. They enter a trance-like state until all 100 or so eggs have been laid, at which point their back flippers gear up again tossing large amounts of sand back into the hole to cover the nest completely. They use their hard shell to rock back and forth over the nest, compacting the sand and camouflaging the site before they begin to make their way back down the gradual slope of the beach towards the water. The leathery, ping-pong ball sized eggs will remain in the nest for about forty days until they hatch. Although the number of nesting turtles varies from season to season, Arribadas occur every month throughout the year, usually just before a new moon, and last for about five days.
Ostional Beach has been designated as a national wildlife refuge to ensure the magnificent Arribadas continue. During the dry season, up to 20,000 Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) make their way to shore and over 200,000 arrive during the rainy season. Arribadas usually peak during high tide, at night. So many turtles nest on a relatively small beach that they begin digging up previously laid nests in the process of laying their own or on their way back down the beach towards the ocean. Caved in nests and crushed eggs decompose, releasing a strong order that draws more bugs, vultures, dogs, raccoons, and other predators than those already waiting in the shadows for their opportunity to attack. This has yielded a low success rate for nest survival and led some scientists and local community members to conclude that removing a portion of the eggs during an Arribada leads to a higher nest success rate by “uncrowding” the nesting area.
The interest of the community in harvesting sea turtle eggs goes far beyond this, however, and is based on many historic and cultural practices. The eggs are rich in protein and provide sustenance for many people of all ages, along with a means for survival. The cultural connection to consuming turtle eggs poses an enormous problem throughout Costa Rica and Central America, leading to illegal poaching of eggs from several endangered sea turtle species including the Olive Ridley.
Ostional is home to the only sea turtle egg-harvesting project in Costa Rica and one of very few in the world. The Ostional International Development Association (ADIO) permits members who live in the town of Ostional and surrounding rural areas, to remove a specified number of eggs for human consumption and commercial purposes. This was made legal through a 1987 law written specifically for Ostional after several years of conflict and scientific studies. The law allows ADIO to collect as many eggs as they can from a designated one-mile portion of the beach during the first 36 hours of every Arribada. Each association member receives a portion of the harvested eggs.
The community also benefits economically by selling the only “legally harvested” eggs in marketplaces throughout the country. Eggs are collected by association members, rinsed in the ocean, counted, and packed in sealed bags with ADIO’s logo. They are sold to bars and restaurants, that serve them as a delicacy, and to marketplaces where they are available to the public for purchase. The majority of the profits return to Ostional, making this an important source of income for the local community. It has also led to a complex conflict between scientists and local community members about the validity of such a project and local rights to resources. Many scientists argue that it is unethical and contributes to the decline of all sea turtle species by promoting the consumption of their eggs rather than opposing the trend altogether.
This highlights a prevalent disconnect, held by many scientist, between the conservation of natural resources and the local communities in which the resources are located. All too often people are separated and removed from the process of conserving nature, which misses a central piece of the puzzle of successful resource management. Local communities have the potential to be the greatest allies in protecting a resource and have a right to determine how the resources, on which they depend, are managed.
One element that has strengthened ADIO is the partnership structure upon which it is based. Since it began, ADIO has worked with the Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications (MINAE), the Institute for Fishing and Agriculture (INCOPESCA), the Costa Rican Coast Guard, and the University of Costa Rica to hold annual meetings, create five-year plans, and adapt to the needs of the community, the turtles, and the ecosystem.
Egg harvesting has developed into a truly communal effort. It begins at sunrise on the first day of the Arribada. ADIO members of all ages gather on the beach to locate nests, excavate them, and transfer the eggs into large sacks. These sacks are filled, tied, and carried back down the beach and across the river to a truck waiting in town. The truck takes the heavy sacks down the road to the ADIO facility, where they are stacked until the 36 hour collection period is over. Members from the surrounding communities are eligible to purchase up to 200 eggs per Arribada, provided that they have a permit. ADIO collects about 4.5 million eggs each year, but this is less than one percent of the eggs laid on Ostional Beach.
Once the collection period is over, association members carry the sacks back down the beach to be cleaned in the ocean, counted, and packed in plastic bags labeled with the ADIO logo, indicating that they are legally harvested eggs ready for sale to Costa Rican businesses and markets. The sacks are fully submerged and washed in the tumultuous water of the waves pounding against the shore. Once the eggs are immersed in saltwater, their growth stops and the mucus surrounding the eggs to protect them from insects is removed. Additionally, any other diseases or bacteria found on the shell, such as salmonella, are rinsed away. The eggs are counted in groups of ten and added to the plastic bags.
Several sacks of eggs are set aside to be donated to local schools and food banks. Once local residents have picked up their share of eggs, the rest are prepared for sale to vendors who have received a special permit to sell the eggs. Each bag has a receipt, indicating that it is officially from ADIO, is legally harvested, and has been washed and prepared for consumption.
Of the 700 residents in Ostional, about 40% are employed by ADIO as either a guard, egg harvester, beach cleaner, egg washer, or guide. Many serve multiple roles. The association not only provides income for the town and serves as a primary source of livelihood for many, but also has built-in incentives for members, including maternity leave, student leave, and a retirement program.
For over 15 years, ADIO has also been implementing an education program at local schools whereby younger generations learn about the turtles and the importance of caring for them and their habitat. In the 30 years ADIO has been around, it has provided the community with $6 million in revenue, of which about 70% returns to association members. The other 30% is spent on administrative costs and community projects, such as a new soccer field or school supplies.
Association members also serve as caretakers for the sea turtles and their habitat. ADIO is responsible for cleaning the nesting areas, patrolling the beach at night for poachers, and protecting turtle hatchlings from predators on their arduous journey from their nest to the ocean. This maintains their membership and monthly allotment of eggs. It also deepens the relationship that the community has with the entire ecosystem and makes members accountable for their own actions. Such institutional arrangements lead to strong connections between the health of the protected resource and the state of the environment. They create mutually beneficial relationships that inform residents and change behavior.
Despite a documented history of success, many conservationists and scientists still view the Ostional project as problematic because it promotes the collection, sale, and consumption of sea turtle eggs. Yet, Ostional remains one of many conservation projects, the world over, to demonstrate that success is increased when those who rely on the protected resource for livelihood are involved in designing and driving the effort. People cannot be removed from the equation when addressing issues of environment and conservation. The most effective way for conservation efforts and vital natural resources to endure is if their care is directly tied to the livelihoods of the people that depend on them. This requires a systems approach and a sound mechanism for sustainable development and resource management. Despite its many challenges and the controversy it has inspired, Ostional has become an example of both.