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.
