Costa Rica to ban hunting for sport
Costa Rica to ban hunting for sport
Central American country hopes law will help to retain the tourism trade on which the nation's economy depends
Reuters in San José
The Guardian, Wednesday 3 October 2012 13.49 EDT
Costa Rica is poised to become the first Latin American country to ban hunting as a sport after its congress provisionally approved reforms to its wildlife conservation law.
Lawmakers voted 41 in favour of and five against the ban, and a second vote expected in the coming week is widely seen as ratifying changes to the law, which aims to protect animals in one of the world's most biodiverse countries.
Costa Rica's national parks attract some 300,000 visitors annually, and tourism is a mainstay of the economy.
"We're not just hoping to save the animals but we're hoping to save the country's economy, because if we destroy the wildlife there, tourists are not going to come anymore", environmental activist Diego Marin, who campaigned for the reform, told local radio.
More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/03/costa-rica-ban-hunting-sport
