Costa Rican fishermen are calling for an investigation into the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) for attempting to reintroduce trawling. Small-scale fishermen from Puntarenas and Guanacaste are concerned about the negative consequences that trawling can have on the economic, social, and environmental areas. In addition, trawling damages marine ecosystems, reduces fisheries, and affects the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The fishermen are calling for a legislative commission to investigate INCOPESCA’s decision to initiate trawl fishing research, despite concerns about the technical shortcomings and scientific insufficiency of the studies. They are also disappointed that INCOPESCA ignored a Constitutional Court ruling on this matter issued ten years ago.
The fishermen are not against the use of trawling altogether, but they believe that if it is to be reinstated, it should be done in a sustainable way that is supported by environmental, social, and economic studies. They are calling for INCOPESCA to be more transparent and collaborative and to propose a proper investigation.
The group is concerned that the trawl studies will cost 126,000,000 million colones and will be a waste of money since they do not have a proper methodology or sufficient technical and scientific support to guarantee the validity of their results. The studies, initially aimed at scientific research for the conservation of the marine ecosystem, have been used exclusively to seek the viability of shrimp trawling, which the fishermen are against.
The fishermen are also calling on INCOPESCA’s executive president, Heiner Méndez, to speak before the commission and for President Chaves to abide by his campaign promises regarding the efficient use of public resources.
The group urges the coastal commercial and tourism sectors, local governments in the area, universities, and social organizations to express their solidarity with this petition and to demonstrate against how this investigation is being carried out.
Several environmental organizations, including MarViva, have raised their voices against trawling, as there is more than enough evidence that confirms that the practice harms the oceans. MarViva condemns the government’s insistence on reactivating trawling, despite the vast majority of the country rejecting this fishing practice and the scientific literature abounding with examples of the severe environmental impacts of its use.
In conclusion, small-scale fishermen in Costa Rica are calling for a legislative commission to investigate INCOPESCA’s decision to initiate trawl fishing research, despite concerns about the technical shortcomings and scientific insufficiency of the studies.
The fishermen are not against the use of trawling altogether, but they believe that if it is to be reinstated, it should be done in a sustainable way that is supported by environmental, social, and economic studies.
It is crucial that the government listens to the concerns of these fishermen and environmental organizations and takes steps to ensure that the use of trawling does not harm the oceans or the livelihoods of coastal communities.
