Following recent statements by Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment, Franz Tattenbach, international organizations Fins Attached and Marine Watch International, in association with the Rob Stewart Sharkwater Foundation, have announced the revocation of the 2024 Oceans Advocate Rob Stewart Award, which had been presented to Costa Rica in November of last year.
The decision follows Tattenbach’s remarks describing the organizations’ post-award cooperation proposal as “blackmail.” He stated, “No aceptamos premios internacionales condicionados,” emphasizing that Costa Rica’s environmental policy “is not for sale.”
In response, the organizations accused the minister of failing to honor commitments made during the award process. These included advancing marine conservation through technological and scientific cooperation, protecting critical marine habitats, and strengthening protections for endangered species like hammerhead sharks.
“Promises made by the minister were not only broken but abandoned,” the organizations stated. “Meaningful recognition must be earned through demonstrable action and accountability.”
Fins Attached rejected the “blackmail” characterization, clarifying that their proposal was a good-faith offer of scientific and logistical support to advance marine conservation. The revocation adds to growing criticism of Costa Rica’s marine policies, with a 2024 Environment Ministry report highlighting a 15% decline in marine biodiversity since 2018, attributed partly to lax fishing regulations.
The organizations also cited a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which identifies Costa Rica as the top Latin American exporter of shark fins to Asian markets between 2003 and 2020, with over 5,600 metric tons exported. In 2025, the Center for the Rescue of Endangered Marine Species (CREMA) denounced the authorization of 12.6 tons of hammerhead shark fins transferred from Nicaragua through Costa Rica for re-export between September 2023 and September 2024.
Minister Tattenbach has since stated that the Executive Branch has begun including a ban on the transit of hammerhead sharks and their parts through Costa Rican territory, aiming to prevent the country from being used as a trafficking route for hammerhead sharks.
