The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 6, 2004

LAST days of summer: Students from Cedros High School in San Pedro, east of San José, enjoy their last days of summer vacation. More than 900,000 students will head back to public schools throughout the country on Monday.
Tico Times / Jeffrey Arguedas

Tourism Institute Defends
$100,000 Pavarotti Expenditure
The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) this week justified spending $100,000 last month to promote the concert by opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, held last Saturday at the National Stadium in La Sabana Park in west San José.
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Health Ministry to Increase
Monitoring of Industrial Contaminants
Health Minister Dr. María Rocío and Swiss Ambassador Gabriela Nudzi yesterday announced an agreement between Costa Rica's Health Ministry and the company SWISSCONTACT to monitor air pollution in San José.
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February 6

Expo-Feria Pérez Zeledón
Southern Zone fair features cattle show and sale, cowboy demonstrations, rides, concerts, agricultural/industrial exhibits, bullfights and more, through Sun. Feb. 8, Pérez Zeledón. Info: 771-3758.

La Calle de la Gran Ocasión
Theatrical drama about the different relationships of a couple. Begins at 8 p.m. Feb. 5-8, 12-15, Sala Vargas Calvo, behind the National Theater, Av. 2, Ca. 5 in San José. Info: 222-1875.

II Annual Left-Shoe Classic Tennis Tournament
Tournament proceeds go to the ALS-Therapy Development Foundation, Sat., Feb. 7. Info: Kbdhub@aol.com

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Costa Rica Given Green Light to
Resume Shrimp Exports to U.S.

Following a thorough inspection of the country's commercial shrimping vessels last month, the United States has agreed to allow Costa Rica to resume shrimp exports to its market, the Costa Rican Fishing Institute (INCOPESCA) announced this week.

Last August, the U.S. State Department moved to decertify - or embargo - Costa Rican shrimp because local fleets had failed to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to help reduce the number of sea turtles caught in their nets (TT, Aug. 23, 30, 2003).

The United States briefly embargoed Costa Rican shrimp in 1999 under the same circumstances.

To stop similar embargoes in the future, INCOPESCA and the Costa Rican Coast Guard Service have agreed to conduct constant inspections of shrimping vessels to ensure they are using fully functional TEDs in accordance with U.S. export requirements.

TEDs are a grid of bars with an opening at the top or the bottom. The grid is fitted into the neck of a shrimp trawl. Small animals such as shrimp slip through the bars and are caught in the bag end of the trawl, but large animals such as turtles and sharks, when caught at the mouth of the trawl, strike the grid bars and are ejected through the opening.

Studies have demonstrated TEDs effectively exclude up to 97% of sea turtles with minimal loss of shrimp. Since 1996, the United States has outlawed shrimp imports from countries that do not implement specific measures to protect turtles.

In 2002, Costa Rica exported 507,000 kilograms of shrimp to the United States, generating $5 million in revenues. Last year, before the embargo went into effect, the country exported 162,000 kg, totaling $2.5 million.

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Tourism Institute Defends
$100,000 Pavarotti Expenditure

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) this week justified spending $100,000 last month to promote the concert by opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, held last Saturday at the National Stadium in La Sabana Park in west San José.

On Jan. 21, ICT signed an agreement with the concert's main sponsor, Credomatic de Costa Rica, to pay $70,000 to promote the concert. The institution also plans to spend an additional $30,000 on an ad campaign for the country using Pavarotti's likeness.

On Tuesday, the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP) harshly criticized the government expenditure.

ICT responded to the criticism in a statement that read: "The institution is in charge of promoting and stimulating, among other things, any cultural or artistic activity that attracts tourism to the country. It is important to point out this is not the first time ICT has financed an activity of that nature."

The decision was evaluated and approved by ICT's technical marketing commission "because an event of that magnitude would undoubtedly help improve Costa Rica's image. The event was taken as the perfect opportunity to link the fame and quality of the singer [Pavarotti] with the Costa Rica brand name, mainly in the Central American market."

The statement noted that spending $70,000 to promote the Pavarotti concert was small expenditure if compared with other promotion efforts, such as paying $140,000 for a full-page ad in the New York Times travel supplement.

ICT said the agreement with Credomatic made it possible for Costa Rica's tourism brand name and the ICT logo to appear in 300 national television ads, 20 full-page ads in local papers, 20 full-page ads in Central American newspapers, 50,000 inserts in the daily La Nación, 120 ads throughout San José, 150,000 concert guides, 1,500 deluxe programs and 50,000 tickets. The logos also appeared on various Internet Web sites.

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Pacheco Announces Construction
Of a Soccer Stadium in Limón

President Abel Pacheco announced this week that Limón will have its first soccer stadium by the year's end. He said the government has set aside ¢430 million (about $1 million) for the new stadium, which will seat 4,000 people.

Pacheco also announced the government has allocated ¢80 million ($190,000) to repair Limón's Big Boy baseball stadium.

"Limón is a province that churns out athletes by the dozen but they are often overlooked, sometimes for lack of good stadiums," Pacheco said. "That is one reason that youth become lost and turn to drugs and other bad things."

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Health Ministry to Increase
Monitoring of Industrial Contaminants
By Steven J. Barry
sbarry@ticotimes.net

Health Minister Dr. María Rocío and Swiss Ambassador Gabriela Nudzi yesterday announced an agreement between Costa Rica's Health Ministry and the company SWISSCONTACT to monitor air pollution in San José.

The study aims to determine how to curb rising levels of sulfates and nitrates in the capital city.

"One of the most important elements (in preventing environmental damage) is the transfer of knowledge," said Luzi Hugentobler, regional director for SWISSCONTACT.

The company donated technical equipment that will provide geographical data about air pollution that eventually will be compiled into an inventory of the sources of contaminants in the metropolitan area. Officials say that eventually they will be able to strengthen control of emissions from those sources.

The cooperation will focus on fixed sources of pollution - mainly industrial establishments. However, according to a study released yesterday by the National University of Costa Rica, 70% of the city's air pollution comes from mobile sources.

The daily La Nación reported yesterday that certain parts of San José registered levels of contaminants 25% higher than the level recommended by the World Health Organization.

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Wednesday October 26, 2005