Article Translated from Periodic Mensaje, Costa Rica

Sport Fishing Tourism in Costa Rica Creates 13 Thousand Jobs and Injects Over 500 Million Dollars Annually to the National economy – Our Marine Resources Must be Protected.

Henry Marin Fecop — Henry Marin Sandoval of FECOP

Sport fishing and sport fishing related activities are responsible for around thirteen thousand jobs in Costa Rica every year. This is just one of the many important facts presented by Henry Marín Sandoval appearing alongside colleague Ricardo Seevers, President of FECOP, Marina Marrai and Eliecer Feinzaing, to the Special Permanent Commission on the Environment, in support of the proposed law (#file 21531 law) aimed at pushing commercial fishing boats up to 200 miles offshore to help retain Costa Rica’s tuna wealth and promote its sustainable use for the benefit of the Costa Rican people.

Marín also said that of the 3 million tourists that visit the country every year, 150 thousand engage in sport fishing tourism activities, which corresponds to 5.2% of total tourism in Costa Rica, in addition these tourists fish out of 150 boats that belong to Costa Rican families and the fishing boats in turn energize the economy by providing jobs to captains and mates, service personnel, boat maintenance service such as upholstery, among many others.

“We are talking about around 13 thousand people who depend directly on sport fishing related tourism – a proportion of total employment equivalent to 1.6% total jobs in Costa Rica, and as for the economic contribution, this activity contributes around 520 million dollars to the the Costa Rica economy that not only remains in the sector, but it becomes more dynamic in other sectors as well”, explained Marín.

Deputy Luis Fernando Chacón stated that this issue is of utmost importance since Costa Rica’s territorial waters occupy more space then it’s land mass, making it essential to take advantage of the sustainable use of the country’s maritime resources, with an emphasis on social equity and environmental sustainability – going beyond the extension of just the fishing in order to create a balance.

“It is necessary to allow the best use of resources, the role of cooperatives had not been successful, what do they envision that can be better than cooperatives to achieve the best development and to generate wealth for these communities while maintaining the balance of the sea”, asked the deputy.

Marlin in Panama

Audio of deputy Luis Fernando Chacón

In this regard, Ricardo Seevers indicated that the idea of creating a national tuna fleet is good, however, the way in which it was created before in government institutions and private companies did not work, however, a good alternative would be to include Development Banking since that the State does not manage this business.

For his part, deputy José María Villalta said that there are talks in the Legislative Assembly to extend the polygon or area of exclusion of commercial boats to focus on supporting national fisheries with selective gear of less impact to sport fishing tourism.

“There is a good environment for this, although there are different proposals, the project plans to advance at least up to 60 miles, leaving the possibility of different demarcations being made with technical studies, some deputies are proposing to increase it to 100 miles,” explained the deputy to the also indicate that the FECOP proposal is to step up to 200 miles.