Costa Rica Protects 30% of its Sea by Expanding Cocos Island Area

In November 2021, a coalition of almost 70 countries pledged to protect 30% of their land and ocean by 2030. Known as the “30×30 Goal,” the initiative was launched during the first days of that same year by Costa Rica, France, and the United Kingdom, and even though dozens of countries have officially agreed on the goal, it has yet to be signed by some of the world’s main contributors to climate change. For example, China is not expected to sign the deal until at least next May.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica announced on December 17, 2021, that it had already reached the target of protecting 30% of its oceans. The country did so by radically expanding the Cocos Island National Park, one of the most diverse places on Earth and one that is home to hundreds of unique species of birds, plants, and sharks. “Science has concluded that to reduce the accelerated loss of biodiversity that we are experiencing, we must protect our terrestrial and marine ecosystems,” said President Carlos Alvarado after signing the decree.

The executive law virtually multiplies by 27 times the protected area of the Cocos Island National Park. Before, its protected area was 2.034 square kilometers — now, its size is almost 55.000 square kilometers. On the other hand, the decree protects the marine area around the island, which now has an extension of more de 106.000 square kilometers. With this law, Costa Rica is officially protecting around 30% of its seas, from 2,7% before the government decree.

The decision was celebrated by Hollywood actor and climate activist Leonardo DiCaprio, who said on his official Twitter that “the [protected] area [of Cocos Island], larger than New York state, protects critical ocean habitat and helps connect the region’s growing network of marine reserves.” President Alvarado replied to DiCaprio by saying that Costa Rica “is committed to lead ocean conservation as a nature-based solution. Our ocean is our hope for the present and future generations. Cocos Island is a natural laboratory with pristine waters and unique wildlife. Let’s keep working together to implement ocean actions.”

The United Nations also applauded the government’s decree, assuring that it was “big news” because the expanded protected area will help protect the world’s biodiversity and fight climate change. During the official announcement, back in December, the executive director of Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas, Rafael Gutiérrez, said that “the biophysical characteristics of Cocos Island National Park and its adjacent waters make this site a hot spot in the Eastern Tropical Pacific for marine fauna, so it is important to increase its protection.”

After this decree, Costa Rica is now protecting almost 160.000 square kilometers of ocean. That’s three times the size of its mainland.

An Untouched Paradise

Designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1997, Cocos Island is an almost untouched paradise. Only rangers of the National Park are allowed to live on the island. Visitors are permitted but only with the permission of rangers, and they cannot walk around most of its territory. Tourists cannot camp or collect flowers or minerals from the place. To get there, you need to travel 40 hours by boat and stay for several days since vessels only dock a few days per month.

Over 400 animal species on the island are endemic, as are more than 30 species of coral found there. Unesco has stated that at least three species of birds, two reptiles, and two fish cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. Enric Sala, a National Geographic’s explorer, has described the island as it being “like Jurassic Park”, which is interesting because legend has it that the set of the homonymous movie was actually inspired by this place.

For Sala, the magic of Cocos Island is that it is “a rare wild place that shows us what the ocean of the past was, but also what the future ocean could be like if we so decide.” That is why he thinks that the expansion of the national park “is a testament of the ocean leadership of the Costa Rica government, which further protects that World Heritage Site from the increasing threat of industrial fishing.”

The Challenge of Protecting 30% of Land and Sea

As was mentioned before, Costa Rica –alongside France and the UK– were the first countries to pursue the “30×30 Goal”. The idea is that, by protecting at least 30% of land and sea, the world may be able to stop climate change and stop the loss of plant and animal species that’s been on the rise in the past decades. In the next COP15 nature summit, to be held next May in the Chinese city of Kunming, countries who support the goal must officially pledge that they’re going to protect their land and sea.

The initiative is being fueled by the NGO Campaign for Nature. Brian O’Donnell, director of the campaign, recently told Reuters that there’s a broad scientific consensus that protecting and conserving at least 30% of land and oceans is kind of a minimum goal to protect biodiversity. Nevertheless, it has been difficult to get all countries on board. “Many countries seem to be on the fence, and the support of others is conditioned on adequate financing being made available,” said Linda Krueger, director of biodiversity at The Nature Conservancy.

For its part, Costa Rica has already done its job. 30% of the country’s sea is now protected, and the world is grateful for it.