By means of an Executive Decree signed on Tuesday by President of Costa Rica Luis Guillermo Solis, parts of the Pacific Ocean are now off limits to commercial tuna fishing. The two main oceanic locations where tuna fishing is absolutely prohibited are the Isla del Coco (Cocos Island) National Park and the Seamount Conservation Area. The National Coast Guard Service, park rangers and fisheries officials will be in charge of enforcement.

 

According to a news story filed by Sussy Villareal of news daily La Prensa Libre, officials from the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Spanish acronym: INCOPESCA) will be developing a plan to further regulate the commercial fishing vessels that will now be restricted to casting their nets and lines in only two areas, known as fishing polygons. Luis Felipe Arauz, Minister of Agriculture, explained that:

 

Costa Rica is rich in marine resources, and yet our coastal zones are mired in poverty. For this reason, we need to work on measures that will allow equitable distribution of riches to our coastal towns.

 

The largest fishing vessels will have to operate only under the direct supervision of an INCOPESCA official, who will have to remain aboard. In addition to this direct supervision, certain tuna fleets will have to install a special GPS tracking device.

 

Other Fishing Restrictions in Costa Rica

 

A restriction is currently in the Gulf of Nicoya, a marine area where species such as white shrimp and sea bass reproduce during May and later near September. This restriction will continue until the end of October. Yet another restriction in the Gulf of Nicoya, which is part of the Thermal Dome of Costa Rica, will continue until late November. This particular restriction is on sardines.

 

As previously explained by The Costa Rica Star, the Thermal Convection Dome off our Pacific Coast represents the highest concentration of chlorophyll in the world, up to 60 milligrams per cubic centimeter of sea water. This means that a lot of phytoplankton -unicellular algae that eventually photosynthesizes into plankton- is available for the pleasure of a number of migratory marine species, including crabs, dolphins, marlin, tuna, turtles, whales and more. These species swim and crawl across thousands of kilometers to feast and reproduce off our coast.