The Different Path

Condofish en Revista “Su Casa”

condofish — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:38:21 +0000

Condofish made an appearance in the popular Costa Rica magazine “Su Casa“.

“Un proyecto de arrecifes artificiales pretende atraer vida a los fondos arenosos de Playa Hermosa en Guanacaste. Lo único que se necesitó fueron unos cuantos bloques de concreto unidos entre sí por varillas de acero para que unas 25 especies de peces, crustáceos y moluscos hicieran de este su barrio.

En 1985, una embarcación atunera de origen mexicano atracó en playa Hermosa, en Carrillo de Guanacaste. Un incendio afectó su estructura al punto que esta terminó hundiéndose a escasos 400 metros de la costa.

Unos 17 años después, con ayuda de pescadores, un grupo de buzos ubicó los restos del barco que yacían en el fondo arenoso, a unos 10 metros de profundidad. Lejos de recordar el accidente, los pedazos de metal estaban cubiertos de vegetación y conchas. Aquello había dejado de ser un bote para convertirse en un arrecife.

Así fue como se originó la idea de Condofish, proyecto de arrecife artificial que toma la embarcación hundida como punto de referencia para colocar a su alrededor una docena de montículos en forma octogonal, los cuales sirven de hábitat a peces, crustáceos y moluscos.

Estos inusuales condominios marinos empezaron a colocarse en el 2010. Cada uno consta de 48 bloques de concreto enlazados entre sí por una estructura de acero que los inmoviliza. Esto les da estabilidad ante el embate de corrientes y no deja que se hundan en la arena. Asimismo, los “condos” son más resistentes a las redes de pesca y las anclas de los botes.

“También es más fácil instalarlos y moverlos en el fondo del mar”, comentó el buzo Christian Lemouche, líder del equipo de siete voluntarios que trabajan ensamblando las piezas y trasladándolas al mar.

Ya la primera etapa del proyecto está concluida. Consta de 12 “condos” y unos 50 “mini reef” que son estructuras más pequeñas de un único bloque, los cuales sirven para delimitar el perímetro y permiten al buzo ubicarse bajo el agua cuando la visibilidad es mala. De esta forma, el arrecife artificial abarca actualmente un área de 150 metros cuadrados. Lemouche espera terminar en un año la segunda etapa, que significará la instalación de 20 “condos” más.

Dado que la creación de arrecifes artificiales no es una decisión antojadiza, Condofish cuenta con permiso de investigación otorgado por el Ministerio del Ambiente (Minaet), a través del Área de Conservación Tempisque (AC T), bajo la Resolución N° AC T-OR-DR-019 del 25 de marzo de 2010.

“Debido a que se está trabajando con especies silvestres, este permiso de investigación implica una propuesta de manejo y seguimiento científico sobre la evolución que se está teniendo en el sitio y la aparición de distintas especies. Cuando se introducen las estructuras, estas van limpias de vida y entonces, lo que se hace es darle seguimiento a la colonización que ocurre por algas, invertebrados o peces”, explicó el biólogo Mauricio Méndez, director técnico de AC T.”

–Peces en condominio

2011 – End of the Year Update!

condofish — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:05:56 +0000

Rene and crew managed to make it out to the Condofish site last week for a picture update of the project. The storms in October and unprecedented undersea currents managed to disorganize some of the condo fish structures below. The most important news is thatmarine life is still in the reef project living in perfect harmony with the calcium rich concrete blocks. Fortunately, Fish do not seem that concerned care about their condo architecture. Even thought most tenants failed to file their insurance policy on time, they continue to love their blocky structures and use them as safe place for their eggs.

Our new prototype fish condo using a steel reinforced frame manage to stay strong and remain unaffected by the unusually strong currents. We plan on building more reinforced structures throughout the project and forge ahead!

Below is a gallery of the last dive:

Reef Dive Video Update – August 2011

condofish — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:41:48 +0000

Divers Don Don and Thad took a dive down to the Playa Hermosa Artificial Reef Project in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The fish and marine life are abounding. Also, The new steel reinforced condo design seems to be the ideal choice for underwater building. Our old structures are much more susceptible to being knocked over by fisherman’s anchors. The new prototype hasn’t moved or shifted since it was installed. The reef project is as beautiful as ever!

Condofish 1 Year Anniversary

condofish — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:05:04 +0000

May 18th Marks the 1 year anniversary of the Playa Hermosa Artificial Reef Project website! Thanks for all the support. We are now constructing new and improved designs using re-bar reinforced frames and concrete blocks. The team dropped the first prototype in the water using our custom air powered lifting and lowering submarine device. Pictures and more information will follow in upcoming posts.

New reef Design with submarine lifting and lowering device sitting in the center.

New CondoFish Video Documentary

condofish — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:15:10 +0000

Boomers Offshore created an outstanding video documenting the progress of the Playa Hermosa Artifical Reef Project over the last year. In addition, the video emphasizes the need for project such as this and talks about the future of the project.

Be Sure and check out the Boomers Offshore for more info about life and adventure in Costa Rica. Thanks Andy for your support and excellent video skills!

March 2011 – An Amazing Month For the Project

condofish — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:24:00 +0000

This March has been absolutely amazing. The structures and surrounding seafloor have been amassing biological value by the month. Sightings of Lobsters, crabs, octopus, conch shells, southern sting rays, and more and more varieties fish have become commonplace. We hope that local dive shops will begin viewing Condofish as more than a project, but as an attraction as well.

Marine biologist from the University in San Jose have now taken an interest and offered their help.(which we will expound on in a following post) The Costa Rica fishing authority have also given us good news and authorized us to expand greatly. In addition, the Condofish team just placed their first new steel reinforced structure on the seafloor. Anchors and fishing nets dropped by fishermen who ignore the government sanctioned buoys will no longer be an issue. Whoo Hoo!

Here are some pictures from the last dive.

Stay tuned for an informative video about the latest developments, new designs and progress over the last year.

What to Do?….. Careless Fishermen

condofish — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:49:42 +0000

After putting up 4 buoys marking off the project in a square above the water and building a border around the entire project underwater, fishermen still continue to do damage to our project. We have no issue with the casual sport fisherman or the motivated spear-fisher, but when fishermen drop their nets and drag them across a government sanctioned project and destroy our artificial reef units it’s totally unacceptable. Last week we had to rebuild a unit that was destroyed by a fishing net that was caught and pulled a structure apart. It seems that every month or so we’re cleaning up after irresponsible fishermen dragging their gear straight through the project.

We are working to build new, stronger, and more reinforced structures, but it’s unbelievable that fishermen are still dropping their nets in the protected zone. This is MINAE protected zone. If you see or know anyone that uses the CondoFish area to drop nets or anchors…….tell them the government is watching them and that what they’re doing is bad for the Playa Hermosa community and the fish population in the bay.

We are helping to increase the fish population in the area! Why slow CondoFish down?

Who is MINAE?

“As a resource with enormous potential, the biodiversity in Costa Rica plays an instrumental role in the country’s development. As compared to the other tropical regions in the world, this tiny Latin American country contains great diversity of species and ecosystems.

The institution responsible for implementation, management and the administration of biodiversity in Costa Rica is the MINAE (Ministry of the Environment and Energy). This government agency is responsible for the coordination of all issues regarding conservation and natural resources in the country.
Managing the National Parks and Wildlife Refuges of Costa Rica, MINAE responded to the growing conservation needs of the country and created 11 Conservation Areas. The department of SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas) oversees and manages the public lands and is headed by a Directorate that provides technical support. These Conservation Areas undertake a decentralized management of biodiversity with the active participation of the local communities surrounding the protected areas.

There are several units in MINAE that includes: Costa Rican Technical Unit, Geology and Mining, Meteorology and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). SINAC specializes in policies related to conservation and its management.The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for Costa Rica has developed several conservation programs for the endangered wildlife of the region. It collects vital data, surveys and documents the evidence for marine turtles and jaguar predating. The collected data helps in managing projects related to conservation of animals.

MINAE strives for high levels of environmental protection and conservation. The various ongoing projects have helped foster bilateral objectives regarding environmental protection. Thanks to the conservation efforts of MINAE and the support of the private sector, the percentage of protected territory in the country has increased. During the past few years MINAE has been able to ensure that great emphasis is placed on implementing the accumulated studies and methodologies for the benefit of protected areas. Ecotourism, biosphere projects, environmental service payments and medicinal plantation are just some of the programs that it has been able to implement.

The continued efforts of MINAE have facilitated in improving the environmental laws, strengthening the animal preservation policies and increasing public awareness. These objectives have been achieved by training and education of the public sector, broadening the citizen’s participation in preservation projects, technical assistance and through the exchange of information.”

MINAE Aerticle from GoVisitCostaRica.com

-http://www.govisitcostarica.com/sustainability/article.asp?atid=43

New Life in The Reef 2011

condofish — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:22:08 +0000

With the addition of the chunk of the Pekin Star shipwreck and over 9 months of growth on the calcium rich concrete blocks, the Playa Hermosa Artificial Reef Project is teeming with life. We’ve been spotting numerous rays, eels, crabs, conch, oysters, and multitude of different varieties of tropical fish all around and in the structures. Each block structure is covered with calcium based organisms and plants. It seems that one day it become a solid living entity. Rene even spotted a lobster underneath the shipwreck, meanwhile I had a baby octopus latching onto my hand while working on one of the condos. It’s been quite a fun last few weeks.

See the photos below to get an idea of all the fun we have at the reef project. Visibility was not very good this day but we still managed to get some good pictures.

Pekin Star Shipwreck is Gone!!!

condofish — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:50:26 +0000

With a crane from the municipality and a large community effort, the Shipwreck on Playa Hermosa was finally removed. It was a messy but successful operation. A large section of the wreck still lives on as a new life promoting structure in the Playa Hermosa Artificial Reef Project.

Here’s a video of the effort!

Our First European Sponsor – La Faitafondue!

condofish — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:43:22 +0000

Here we’d like to acknowledge our first European sponsor! La Faitafondue

Comme le dit si bien l′illustrissime amuseur public FRANK MARICHAL, les belges ont une brique dans le ventre.

Ceci dit, FRANK MARICHAL et son fameux restaurant LAFAITAFONDUE, deviennent les premiers SPONSORS européens du projet CONDOFISH – www.condofish.com initie par son copain et compatriote Christian LeMouche au Costa Rica.

Très prochainement apparaitra dans l′album du CONDOFISH, une photo sous-marine avec le logo de LAFAITAFONDUE – RESTAURANT.

Visitez le site www.condofish.com , des textes en français expliquent les tenants et aboutissants de ce projet hors du commun.