Marine Parks Care

There is a multi-national effort to professionalize staff that work in marine areas, which in the case of Costa Rica, includes 14,282 square kilometers.

There are twenty-one students in total enrolled in the program; 14 Costa Ricans, 5 Colombians and 2 Panamanian who are trained in navigation, boat maintenance, surveillance, rescue and environmental crimes, by the National Academy Coast Guard. The course consists of eight modules covering marine sciences, control and surveillance strategies, maintenance of outboard motors, environmental law, marine biology, loading, first aid, rescue and water safety, and tourism management in protected marine areas.  Participants begin their day at 5 a.m. with physical training.  They then combine their theoretical classroom knowledge with practice.  In the evening, they receive keynote addresses on drug trafficking, trawling, marine management, global warming and even participate in film forums that promote exchanges of experience amongst the staff.

At the end of the course, participants will receive two certificates: one by the University for International Cooperation (UCI) and one delivered by the International Red Cross training in marine rescue and first aid.

"In a formal sense, this is the first generation of Marine Park Rangers," said Jose Rodriguez, coordinator of the course, adding that the idea is to make the course a year. Thus, in five years, these three countries will have 50 professionals trained in the management of marine areas helping preserve our beautiful marine area.