FECOP, Billfish Conservation Project and Provimagua (Guatemala) sign cooperation agreement to promote responsible tourist fishing in the isthmus

Responsible tourist fishing contributes to conserving the rich marine landscape of the Central American region.

In the recent meeting agenda for the Central America and the Caribbean arm of  the International Game Fish Association (IGFA)  recently held in the city of Antigua Guatemala, the Costa Rican Federation of Tourist Fishing (FECOP) of Costa Rica, The Billfish Conservation Project of the United States of America and the Non-Governmental Organization for the Protection of Marine Life of Guatemala (Provimagua) established a strategic cooperation agreement to promote tourist fishing as a catalyst for the blue economy in the Central American region.

This important event will orchestrate regional efforts for mutual collaboration in the field of tourist fishing. This will help boost the local economy, promote marine conservation and environmental awareness, without forgetting the significant role that the marine landscape of the Central American region plays.

“It is of utmost importance for us to be at this regional fishing and conservation meeting and to have the opportunity to sign such a transcendental agreement for Central America between FECOP, Billfish Conservation Project and Provimagua and to be able to work on projects of common interest for the conservation of weevils in our region,” commented Niels Erichsen Vargas, founding partner of the Billfish Conservation Project

I congratulate the FECOP team for their desire to be part of a regional group that seeks the same conservation objectives for weevils, concluded Erichsen. When responsible fishing practices are carried out, tourist fishing activity contributes significantly to the conservation of marine biodiversity, to strengthening the sustainability of ecosystems and to protecting the valuable natural wealth of the region.

For her part, the Executive Director of FECOP, Marina Marrari, emphasized the work being carried out by FECOP in highlighting the relevance of tourist fishing as an essential component of the blue economy in the region, and thus recognizing its capacity to generate employment and promote sustainable community development. “We are very proud to be able to work hand in hand with tourist fishing in the region such as Provimagua and the Billfish Conservation Project. We must continue working to strengthen cooperation between the countries of the region with the aim of establishing a common framework for the sustainable tourist fishing and marine conservation,” Marrari added.

The cooperation agreement will allow promoting research and education initiatives, and promoting marine conservation for which FECOP is already working, developing projects to meet these objectives.