No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsEnvironment and WildlifeCosta Rica Loses Ocean Award Amid Shark Conservation Controversy

Costa Rica Loses Ocean Award Amid Shark Conservation Controversy

Following recent statements by Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment, Franz Tattenbach, international organizations Fins Attached 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.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Urges U.S. to Pause Tariffs Amid Export and Agriculture Concerns

The Costa Rican government has asked the US government to pause the tariffs announced last Thursday while negotiations between both countries continue. Costa Rican...

El Salvador’s Bukele Challenges Critics Over Indefinite Re-Election Reform

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele rejected on Sunday the notion that the approval of indefinite presidential re-election in El Salvador marks “the end of democracy,”...

Costa Rican Scientists Cut Microalgae Farming Costs by 95%

A team led by Costa Rican biologist Maritza Guerrero has developed a natural biostimulant using microalgae that promises to revolutionize agriculture. The product, named...

Plastic Pollution Costs $1.5 Trillion Annually

Representatives from 184 countries began negotiations on Tuesday at the UN headquarters in Geneva to draft, within ten days, the first global treaty aimed...

Costa Rica Hit by Trump’s Latest Tariff Hike Targeting Dozens of Countries

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a executive order raising tariffs on dozens of countries, including Costa Rica, as part of a broader effort...

Legal Battle Erupts Over Hutchison’s Panama Canal Port Concession

Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, said that he wants to negotiate a new concession contract with the Hong Kong–based Hutchison Holdings subsidiary to continue...
spot_img
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