A Fonafifo-led initiative is installing camera traps to monitor biodiversity in protected forest in the Southern Caribbean region
Two camera traps have been installed to capture the wildlife that inhabits the forests of the Sixaola Agroforestry Area, a protected area for the banana industry in Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean region.
The initiative, led by the National Forestry Financing Fund (Fonafifo), will collect data on the local fauna and create a technical record of the biodiversity present in the area.
The devices will remain active for six months and are part of an effort that includes the installation of camera traps on various farms across the country, 18 of which are located in the Talamanca region. According to Corbana, the initiative will strengthen decision-making regarding the conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems in the Southern Caribbean.
The installation of the cameras is part of the Living Forest project, promoted by Fonafifo, which is funded by private companies through donations and/or agreements. Camera trapping is used as a scientific tool to develop a baseline of the fauna inhabiting these areas, which are part of the Payment for Environmental Services Programme (PPSA). This programme provides financial compensation to landowners and organisations that protect forests and generate key ecosystem services for the country.
Fonafifo’s PPSA promotes forest conservation by recognising environmental services such as mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity for its conservation and sustainable use, and protecting water resources for human consumption, rural use, and hydroelectric power. Thanks to this scheme, Costa Rica has consolidated a network of private protected areas that complement the State’s environmental efforts.
The forested areas of Agroforestales de Sixaola, a subsidiary of the National Banana Corporation (Corbana), are located between the communities of Mata de Limón and San Miguel. These areas have been part of the PPSA (Protected Forestry System) since 2001 and, in addition, were formally incorporated into the National Red++ Strategy in 2025, recognising their contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions between 2018 and 2024. Their protected areas range from 43.6ha to 836.42ha, according to technical studies by Fonafifo.
“Our commitment goes beyond exporting bananas. For decades, we have worked toward sustainable production that protects the production areas and, at the same time, safeguards a forest that is home to a great diversity of fauna and flora. Participating in this project allows us to showcase this effort and understand, with technical evidence, the value of the ecosystems we protect,” said Jhamna Magsig, sustainability coordinator at Corbana.
The Sixaola Agroforestry project covers 1,250ha, encompassing approximately 400ha of primary forest over 100 years old and about 600ha of regenerated secondary forest. Decades ago, these lands supported crops such as bananas and cocoa.
Studies conducted in 2012 by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) recorded the presence of 164 plant species, 158 fern species, 51 mammal species, 141 bird species, 25 reptile species, and 20 amphibian species.
Corbana said the farm, which borders the Gandoca-Manzanillo Biological Corridor, contributes directly to the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, carbon sequestration, and oxygen production, establishing itself as an example of how collaboration between the productive sector and environmental institutions generates tangible results for the conservation of the country’s natural heritage.
