Target: Rodrigo Chaves, President of Costa Rica
Goal: Support far-reaching ban on recreational hunting that harms wildlife.
Costa Rica is a biodiverse paradise. The nation hosts an eye-popping 500,000 wildlife species, making the small country a big home to roughly six percent of global biodiversity. And unlike many larger and far more influential nations, this tiny powerhouse has become a giant in conservation efforts.
Fully one-quarter of Costa Rica’s lands are protected, hands-off zones. In the early 2010s, Costa Rica blazed a trail by banning all hunting for sporting purposes. And the country – with the heft of a massive citizen petition behind it – recently reinforced and strengthened the law by expanding the hunting ban to all forms of recreational hunting. Limited exceptions have been made for indigenous communities more reliant upon hunting to sustain their ways of life. And perhaps most consequentially, enforcement of the law has taken top priority, with significant fines and potential prison sentences handed down to violators.
Sign the petition below to applaud this reaffirmation of dedicated wildlife conservation.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Chaves,
The abundance of animals, from macaws to white-tailed deer, in Costa Rican parks are a living testament to the success of this country’s commitment to treating its wildlife as national heritage. The Wildlife Conservation Law and subsequent flourishing biodiversity have benefitted the country in ways large and small, via non-invasive tourism profits, stronger renewable energy initiatives, and so much more. Thank you for taking a decisive stance against recreational hunting that threatens this biodiversity.
Most importantly, thank you for serving as an example of how to champion wildlife conservation and actually mean it.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Cburnett
