No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveHilton, Auto Mercado no longer sell marlin, sailfish

Hilton, Auto Mercado no longer sell marlin, sailfish

The Costa Rican Federation of Fishing Tourism (FECOPT) and hotel chain Hilton Worldwide, with locations in Costa Rica in Puntarenas, Liberia, Papagayo and San José, this week signed an agreement to eliminate marlin and sailfish from hotel restaurant menus. Hilton becomes the first hotel chain in Costa Rica to take the step as part of its program for Social and Environmental Responsibility. 

The decision not to serve these two types of fish aims to both protect a vulnerable species that is crucial to Costa Rican sportfishing tourism while keeping consumers safe from products that may be high in mercury content, a statement from FECOPT said. Sportfishing accounts for 27 percent of tourism income in Costa Rica.

Also this week, supermarket chain Auto Mercado announced it would remove from its shelves sailfish, marlin, shark and corvineta. A spokesman for Auto Mercado said the store decided to remove corvineta after lab tests revealed high levels of mercury and other toxins in the fish. 

FECOPT Executive Director Enrique Ramírez praised the move. Ricardo Rodríguez, general manager of Hilton’s DoubleTree Resort in the Pacific port of Puntarenas, promised similar measures in the future to promote sustainable tourism and the responsible use of resources.

Studies have shown that sailfish and marlin are more valuable alive as a benefit to the sportfishing industry, and the estimated value of a live marlin or sailfish is about $3,000, while their value is only $125 each when sold as food. Sportfishing in Costa Rica generates some 63,000 jobs and $78 million in tax revenue, according to FECOPT. 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Costa Rican Health Officials Sound Alarm Over Teen Vaping Epidemic

Vaping has become increasingly popular, especially among teenagers and young adults. However, the health consequences associated with its use are raising alarm among Costa...

Celso Gamboa Allegedly Ran Drug Ring with Costa Rican Government Ties

Celso Gamboa, once Costa Rica’s Security Minister and a Supreme Court judge, now faces extradition to the U.S. for leading a major cocaine trafficking...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica