Author’s Note: This is the seventh item in a series of articles that touch on the subject of sustainable practices in Costa Rica. There is a high degree of innovation and street smarts involved in sustainability; if you happen to know of a good sustainability tip, please feel free to share it with The Costa Rica Star.

The Cano Negro National Refuge is a protected area that takes up almost 10,000 hectares in the Los Chiles and Guatuso cantons of the northern region of the Alajuela province. It is a haven for birds, butterflies, alligators and many other species, of which the living fossil gaspar (gar) has become most chineado (appreciated and spoiled) by the local community.

The tropical gar (Atractosteus Tropicus) can be found swimming in the waters of the main Rio Frio, as well as in a large number of brackish and freshwater ponds, creeks and lagoons in Cano Negro. It is not a pretty looking fish by any means; in fact, it looks like a creature that could have been bred in the experimental lagoons of the fictional Jurassic Park. The National Geographic Society cites one reason for the ominous appearance of the gar: it is a survivor species that has essentially remained unchanged in over 100 million years.

Gar is integral to the community of Cano Negro, many of whom are indigenous Maleku people. In the Cano Negro refuge alone, there are more than 300 bird species, 78 mammals, and more than 300 fish. Of all the fish in the region, gars is one of the most voracious predators, and yet it is essential to the ecosystem.

For the native community of Cano Negro, gar is a means of sustenance and a business enterprise. Gar filets and chunks are consumed, sold and traded, while the scales and bones can be turned into souvenirs like jewelry. In the past, the economic importance of gar caused overfishing and poaching of gar. Government and ecological conservation groups moved in to stop irresponsible fishing of gar in the area in the early 1990s.

Gar fishing restrictions resulted in a move by agricultural entrepreneurs towards the lucrative pineapple cultivation market. Irresponsible growing of the prized export fruit caused a loss of soil fertility within a few years. This time the Cano Negro community turned to the government and research institutions for help.

Three of Costa Rica’s major universities are now involved in promoting sustainable practices in Cano Negro. With regard to irresponsible pineapple farming, an Environmental Committee formed by members of the community patrols the region looking for poachers and unscrupulous pineapple farmers. A women’s organization in a small organic farm that grows cabbage, celery, cilantro, green onions and lettuce assists local farmers by teaching them organic farming techniques. They also raise free-range hens and goats that feed on the farm’s produce.

The gar is jealously protected now. Healthy and stable counts of gar in the waters of Cano Negro makes the area look prettier, which in the end attracts more ecotourists and sport fishermen who engage in catch-and-release tournaments, and who respect the limit of gar they can take home. There is now a fishing season for gar in the area, and it is heavily enforced. Ongoing research on the biochemical makeup of the gar scales may soon yield a formula for organic fertilizer that the community can manufacture and sell.

To find out more about the gar and other freshwater fish species, habitats and regulations in Costa Rica, please see our previous article: “Freshwater Fishing: the Lakes, Rivers, and Creeks of Costa Rica.”