The Xatero Problem

One of the most imminent problems in the Chiquibul area is that people crossing the border from Guatemala and illegally harvesting a leaf called Xate (Sha-tay). The leaf is quite large and is commonly called 'fishtail', but is used in flower arrangements because of it's long tendency to look fresh once cut.

These xateros are causing problems, not only because of the mass harvesting of the leaf, but also because they hunt widlife for food, loot Mayan sites and generally have an unsustainable impact upon the forest. The hunted wildlife is also the main prey base for Jaguar.

This illustrates the idea that "conservation" is not such a simple affair, as everything impacted can have far reaching knock-on effects in other areas of an ecosystem or food chain. This is why a lot of effort and detail is being put into the Chiquibul National Park's management plan, to try to lessen the negative forces on the Chiquibul area, and to do the best for preserving a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem.

Our projects for 2008 in the Chiquibul National Park have been part of the plan to stem these problems; cutting the northern boundary of the park, establishing a clear argument against anyone who encroaches into the park, and constructing an observation post to help the park rangers inhibit the spread of xateros and other illegal activity.