The venomous lionfish is being spotted more and more frequently along the Caribbean coast. The non-native fish is native to the Pacific but has somehow made the jump into the Caribbean and has been spotted all up and down the Central American Caribbean coast.

The red lionfish was only noticed for the first time by scientists in Costa Rica’s Caribbean waters a year ago but already the fish has now been spotted all up and down the coast.

Another species of lionfish, the Fire Fish, has not so far been spotted in the Caribbean waters. But it is actually one of the only predators of the red lion fish which has few predators in the Caribbean.  It’s only other predators are grouper and sharks but due to it’s recent introduction it is so far remaining mostly untouched.

The fish has venomous spikes which can be very painful when stung although very rarely fatal. The symptoms could also include headaches, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. A common treatment is soaking the afflicted area in hot water, as very few hospitals carry specific treatments. However, immediate emergency medical treatment is still advised, as some people are more susceptible to the venom than others.

But this is not the only problem with the lionfish. It is also a voracious eater which can decimate other fish populations.

Local divemasters have been killing the fish on sight. In some jurisdictions, such as Cozumel in Mexico, a bounty has been placed on the fish to aid in its control but not so far in Costa Rica.

More information:

• La Nación: Pez venenoso de acuario acecha arrecifes del mar Caribe
• Wikipedia: Lionfish

The Recycling Alliance has expanded the types of solid waste that it is collecting on the Caribbean Coast. Nearly everything can now be recycled. Recycle for a safer community and environment!

The following clean and separated items are now accepted:

• Glass bottles (topless)
• Aluminum and clean metal cans
• Plastic Bottles Pet (#1)
• and all other plastics; separated and CLEAN: jugs,gallons, food containers, bags from the super markets,
• Tetrapak! AKA Wine boxes or juice boxes and that metal-plastic bags examples: bags from coffee, powered milk, cookie and potato chip wrappers if they are that shiny metal!
• Cardboard, dry, separated, and broken down
• Office paper, dry separated packed in plastic bags, remove staples please
• Newspaper and magazines! Dry and separated
• Car batteries
• Used cooking oil

Collection Schedule:

Mondays: From Cahuita to Hone Creek

Tuesdays: From Manzanillo to Rockin’ Jay’s on the edge of Puerto Viejo

Wednesdays: Puerto Viejo to Black Beach

Thursdays: Collections from Banana Farms

Fridays: 1^st and 3^rd of the month: BriBri, 2^nd of the month: Gandoca, 4^th of the month: to the Indigenous Territory including Volio, Rancho Grande, Shiroles, Suretka, Bambu, Chase

Businesses and individuals can bring their recyclable materials to the Solid Waste Transfer Center in Patiño any time. The Center is open during normal business hours.

The Recycling Alliance is sponsoring an event on Saturday, the 31^st of July at the Super Hone Creek starting at 9AM. The event is the first of several called “Talamanca Reciclando por la Vida” Or “Talamanca Recycling for Life”. It’s a grand opening of a community recycling deposit at the Super in Hone Creek. There will be music and information. Bring in your clean, separated recyclables and learn more about what’s going in with recycling in Talamanca.

Due to the new Integrated Waste Management Bill passed in Costa Rica in May, 2010, separation of solid waste is required for households as well as businesses (see article below…) The Recycling Alliance encourages other communities and community members to create their own community recycling points or “Puntos Verdes.”

More information is available on all these initiatives at www.greencoast.com.

ArteViva is a music and arts festival, as well as a free permanent educational program in arts for the people of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica.

ArteViva 2010 is finally happening! EDACS, the Association that traditionally promotes the festival, has set up an alliance with the Asociación Desarrollo Integral de Puerto Viejo (Puerto Viejo Development Association) in order to organize the Carnaval ArteViva 2010, from the 20th to the 31st of August.

The festival will feature live music with well known national bands, theatre, folkloric dance, art exhibitions, culinary events, sport tournaments, circus, alternative medicine workshops and much more. More importantly we shall involve every educational center in the South Caribbean with workshops and students exhibitions.

Stay tuned for more festival information or go to their website to pledge support. If you have ideas on ways to contribute to the event or would like to sign on as a sponsoring business, you can contact Claudio Ambroso at 8842 1741 from 1 a 6 pm or Stash Golan at 8385 6887 o by email to artenelcaribe@yahoo.com

While on the Pacific side, the El Nino effect is expected to bring much more rain than average (40% higher than average for the Central Pacific, 45% higher for the North Pacific and 20% higher for the South Pacific), the South Caribbean side will get about 15% less rain than normal and the North Caribbean side (Tortuguero) about 5% below normal.

The INM forecast for June, July and August by region of Costa Rica. The first number in the parenthesis is the expected deviation from the normal rainfall, the second number is the maximum deviation possible. Puerto Viejo and Cahuita are in the brown area expected to be in a dry (seco) pattern.

Current schedules can be found on www.geckotrail.com/shuttle.htm where you can also make a reservation for any of the shuttle companies.

More information on getting to Bocas either by shuttle or independently can always be found on the Puerto Viejo Transportation page.

The governor of the northern Panamanian province of Bocas del Toro, Bonifacio Abrego, said Sunday that he had decided against declaring a curfew for the city of Changuinola. Abrego said that calm had returned to the city after three days of violent confrontation between striking banana workers and police. The province of Bocas del Toro borders Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast.

Meanwhile, the Panamanian president, Ricardo Martinelli, vowed that he would uphold the controversial Law 30, which was the cause of the strike.

On Saturday, the Panamanian government ordered the reopening of the Changuinola airport, and police confirmed that the highway that connects the city to the rest of the country had been cleared. The road had been blocked for three days by strikers.

“The problems in Changuinola have been the product of misinformation and a series of lies,”  Martinelli said in a press statement issued Sunday. “The intransigence of a group of trade unionists can not end with the banana industry in Changuinola.”

The conflict emerged when the Bocas Fruit Company withheld the portion of workers’ salaries that normally goes toward paying union fees. The company subtracted the union membership fee in response to a recently enacted law that makes such fees optional.

“The government regrets the misunderstanding on the part of this company,” the Martinelli administration said in a press statement. “It is not in the power of this business, nor any other, to retain workers’ salaries because it constitutes a violation of workers’ rights.”

Under the law, the employees must decide whether to pay membership fees and the decision cannot be made for them by their employers.

The protest ended Sunday, when the government signed an agreement with the striking workers. According to the document posted on the Panamanian government website, the original law will not be changed, yet, the government committed to providing more resources to help workers confront the high cost of living.

While roads and the border are open again, shuttle companies such as Caribe Shuttle are holding off on resuming service for a few days while they monitor the situation and make sure the route is safe to travel.

Sources: Caribe Shuttle, Tico Times.

The Tourism Association of the South Caribbean (CATCAS) is offering free English course to employees of its members. The 3 hour/twice weekly courses begin Tuesday July 13 at 8:30am and will continue Tuesday and Thursday mornings for 3 to 4 months.

El Cámara de Turismo de Caribe Sur les informara a todos los interesados que el curso gratis de ingles practico se iniciara el próximo martes 13 de julio a las 8:30 am. Los clases continuaran cada martes y jueves para 3 o 4 meses. Están gratis para empleados de los asociados de CATCAS.

The courses will take place at Koki Beach Restaurant in Puerto Viejo and will be taught by Steven Polk. Los cursos estaran en Restaurante Koki Beach en Puerto Viejo. El maestro sera Steven Polk.

For more information or to register call 2223 1213 during office hours or email turismocaribesur@yahoo.com. Para más información o para registrar llame a 2223 1213 (hrs de oficina) o envía correo electrónico a turismocaribesur@yahoo.com.

Clashes have been reported today at Finca 4 and Finca 13. Photo courtesy of La Prensa

La Prensa is reporting that a second person has died as a result of protests near Changuinola in Bocas Province, Panama.

According to the director of the Changuinola Hospital, Thusnelda Cruz, 123 persons have been admitted to the hospital for treatment of injuries as a result of the protests.

Meanwhile our friends over at Caribe Shuttle have let us know that the US Embassy in Panama has now issued a travel advisory for traveling to or from Bocas del Toro while noting that the islands themselves are calm. The travel advisory reads:

Bulletin from Bocas Warden

To those hotels/hostels this email sent to, please inform you guests.

Today, Friday 9 June: It is not a good idea to travel to, near or thru Changuinola or mainland Bocas Del Toro Provincia. It is not a safe to be in this area, and there are road blockages preventing transit, due to protests between Panamanians and their government.

If you need to travel from Isla Bocas to anywhere, it is advised that you leave only by air, to Panama City, David or San Jose, Costa Rica. Either, remain in Isla Bocas until the protests end, or change you travel arrangements accordingly.

When it is save to travel by boat/road from Isla Bocas, an advisory will be sent.

At 7pm, Friday 9 July: Per Isla Bocas Alcalde, Joe Anderson, and Isla Bocas Hospital Emergency, Dr Luis Mou, condition in Isla Bocas is very normal, no problems reported.

Larry Shane
Bocas Warden, US Embassy Panama

The land route between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro remains closed leaving the only transport option the three times weekly Nature Air flights from San José.

Travelers who have already booked shuttle transport from Costa Rica’s Caribbean to Bocas should contact their travel agency.

Travelers are out of luck if they are trying to go to or from Bocas del Toro, Panama, or want to use the Costa Rica / Panama border crossing at Sixaola / Guyabito / Changuinola on the Caribbean Coast. Just over the border in Panama is one of a reported 11 sites where local banana plantation workers are striking and erecting road barricades.

In addition to the clash at the border, road barricades near Chiriqui Grande will keep travelers from getting to Bocas del Toro or gettting away from Bocas del Toro in that direction. For now, options appear to be by sea or air, or travelors can walk, but a VERY long way and around reportedly angry mobs with machetes, axes and rocks and police in riot gear and tear gas launchers! We do not recommend it.

Another strike of 700 workers in the province of Colon is paralyzing work on the Panama Canal extension.

These strikes are the latest in a series of strikes which date back to the government of ex-President Mireya Moscoso Martín Torrijos revolves around labor law and criminal codes which were voted into law in September 2009. Panama’s current administration reportedly stands by the laws, claiming they will encourage development and bring investment.

So far, the government of Panama has responded by sending military to the 11 strike sites throughout Bocas Del Toro and Colon. With 28 current arrests, the threat of escalation, and the local report that strikers won’t stop till the president comes (who is reportedly in Italy), no end is in sight.

At the moment, the strike has frozen all traffic between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro, Panama. This effectively cancels the shuttle routes between Costa Rica South Caribbean and Bocas del Toro.

The Talamanca News will continue to monitor the situation. Please watch for updates here. Shuttles will start operating from Puerto Viejo to/from Bocas again as soon as it is safe to do so.

Article by John Wheatley. John is a long time resident of Costa Rica’s Caribbean and owner of Adventuras Bravas, providing surf classes and adventure tours, and Caribe Shuttle, providing transport to/from Bocas del Toro in Panama. More information at www.caribeshuttle.com

From July 5 to July 18, Cahuita will present a festival named after renowned Calypso artist Walter Ferguson.

The “Festival de la Cultura y el Ambiente Walter Ferguson” will take place from July 5-18 at various locations around Cahuita and will honor one of Cahuita’s favorite sons with music, theater, dance and poetry. Ferguson sometimes called the King of Calypso is known for songs such as Cabin in the Wata and Callaloo.  The festival is expected to become an annual event.

The highlight of the festival is expected to be a Calypso concert at Cahuita’s Central Park on Saturday July 10 starting at 4pm. As well as local Cahuita performers, the concert will feature musicians from Limon and Puerto Viejo.

Download complete festival program. Download festival poster.