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Jairo Mora Sandoval (March 22, 1987 – May 31, 2013) was a Costa Rican environmentalist who was murdered while attempting to protect leatherback turtle nests. Just before midnight on May 30, 2013, Mora and four female volunteers were abducted by a group of masked men. The women eventually escaped and informed the police. Mora's bound and beaten body was found on the beach the next morning. An autopsy determined he died by asphyxiation after suffering a blow to the head. Sea turtles are protected by law in Costa Rica, but poaching remains common. Locals take eggs, which are believed to be an aphrodisiac, and sell them on the black market. The egg trade has been linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. Environmentalists working in Limón say they are often threatened for trying to protect turtle eggs. Jairo Mora was one such environmentalist working in the area. In the wake of Mora's death, the organization he worked with cancelled beach patrol efforts in Costa Rica. His death attracted international attention, including a statement from the United Nations and multiple rewards for information on the case. In Costa Rica, his death led to calls for reform of environmental policy. On June 4, the government met with environmentalists to discuss potential changes to policy. A plan submitted by environmentalists and endorsed by Environment Minister René Castro would set up a new protected area and grant park rangers more authority to stop poachers, among other changes. On June 5, vigils were held across Costa Rica in honor of Mora. On June 18, the government announced the allocation of ₡20 million (US$40,000), which was later upped to ₡30 million (US$60,000), to memorialize Mora. ==Background== Costa Rica has a good reputation for wildlife conservation in general, and sea turtles have been protected by national legislation in Costa Rica since 1966.〔〔 The country prides itself on its natural beauty and the nation's economy depends heavily on ecotourism. Tens of thousands of people visit the country every year to observe its sea turtles.〔 The turtles of Costa Rica include the leatherback turtle, a critically endangered species.〔 The Marine Turtle Population Law of 2002 assigns a three-year prison sentence to anyone who "kills, hunts, captures, decapitates, or disturbs marine turtles".〔 Even so, it is common for locals to harvest eggs for personal use or for sale in local bars due to supposed aphrodisiac qualities. A poacher can make up to $300 in one night, selling eggs for about $1 each on the black market.〔 Eggs obtained from poaching are often sold to drug dealers or traded for drugs. Poachers are often armed, usually with knives, but sometimes with assault rifles. In the impoverished Limón area, locals claim that police are either colluding with, or afraid of, drug traffickers and poachers. Poaching has been cited as a major reason for declining sea turtle populations around the world.〔 Although poaching is not new, conservationists report that it is on the rise in Costa Rica.〔 In the period leading up to Mora's death, poaching became an attractive side income for with drug traffickers.〔 In 2012, a group of six men used assault rifles and hand guns to break into a protected nursery run by the nonprofit environmentalist group Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST). The men tied up and gagged the volunteers, then smashed or stole a total 1520 sea turtle eggs.〔 After the incident, police began accompanying environmentalists on their nightly beach walks.〔 It was later revealed that the incident was intended as a warning for environmentalists to stay off the beaches, according to WIDECAST's Latin American director Didiher Chacón.〔 According to Limón police chief Erick Calderón, 21 people were arrested in 2012 on charges related to turtle poaching.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Death of Jairo Mora Sandoval」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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