NOTE: This week’s unfortunate court ruling was only a temporary setback in an ongoing fight to stop the commercialization of sailfish for seafood in Costa Rica. Catch and release fishing for sailfish is a major tourist attraction in one of Costa Rica’s strongest sectors that adds over $520 Million annually to Costa Rica’s national economy. FECOP will continue to fight to stop the sale of sailfish for consumption.
The deputies of the Environmental Commission voted against File 23.463, the “Law to Promote the Economic Development of the Coasts by Declaring the Sailfish a National Symbol in the Economic, Social, and Cultural Development of Costa Rica.”
The vote was narrowly decided. Gilberth Jiménez and Katherine Moreira of the PLN, Manuel Morales of the ruling party, Carlos Andrés Robles of the PUSC, and David Segura of Nueva República voted against the bill. Meanwhile, Ariel Robles of the Frente Amplio, Óscar Izquierdo of the PLN, Luis Diego Vargas of the PLP, and independent María Marta Padilla voted in favor.
According to Feinzaig, in his defense of the bill, this would eliminate incidental fishing and the consumption of sailfish, allowing the species to recover and serve as a tourist attraction through sport fishing, which only permits catch-and-release practices. Bycatch, the unintentional capture of fish or other marine species while targeting other species, remains a concern.
Sailfish caught by sport fishing boats are all returned to the sea (see photo below), they are not even allowed to be taken out of the water by Costa Rica law. Sailfish caught “unintentionally” by commercial long line boats are legally sold on the local market.
The deputies who opposed the initiative said they did so to protect the livelihoods of fishermen across various regions, arguing that approval of the bill would severely impact their livelihoods. “The fishermen’s farm is the sea; we must support them. Besides, the fishermen already know how to protect the sea,” said Alexander Barrantes.
PLN deputy Gilberth Jiménez pointed out that bycatch is already much lower than what current laws permit. In addition, he emphasized that there has been a significant decrease in this type of fishing in the case of sailfish, down to 5.8% since 2018.
Sailfish tourism is a major contributor to Costa Rica’s economy, generating $520 million in 2021, according to data from INCOPESCA. For the preparation of this bill, Congressman Feinzaig noted that the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama have enacted legislation prohibiting the fishing of sailfish for human consumption.
“Costa Rica is the only country in the region where it is allowed to commercialize sailfish up to 10% of the weight of the total catch of a commercial fishing vessel; this proposed law completely prohibits this practice,” said the congressman. The congressman affirms that this initiative is part of the public policies aimed at the economic reactivation of the country.
“This is not just an economic development proposal for coastal regions; it’s a model of how sustainable development policies can protect the environment while fostering economic growth in coastal and rural communities,” he mentioned.
