The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and the Costa Rica Ministry of Environment will deploy a Holy Week operation to protect the natural resources throughout the touristic activities.

The operation of control and surveillance will be in effect starting April 8 and through Sunday, April 16, with the finality of preventing the extraction of gold, illegal hunting, illegal transportation, illegal tenure in captivity and commercializing of flora and fauna wildlife species, littering and forest fires.

All protected areas administered by SINAC with infrastructure destined for the attention of visitors will remain open in their normal schedule; national and foreign tourists are welcome to enjoy the different National Parks and the country’s wonderful natural heritage; the administrative offices will remain closed during this time with the purpose of including the personnel in the different surveillance and control operations. Officials will also be located in different roads where they will also keep an eye out for illegal logging and transportation of wood.

“Anyone who breaks the law will receive a sanction”, said Juan Carlos Villegas, Chief of the Prevention, Protection and Control Department of SINAC. “We expect that everyone enjoys their vacation in a healthy and responsible way, the natural beauty of the country, as long as they do not alter the habitat and leave all natural sites in the same conditions they found them”, he concluded.

Breaking the Wildlife Conservancy Law constitutes a crime and sanctions are clearly described in this Law, they could involve fines and even jail time depending on the severity of the crime.