Good news for Costa Rica, maybe it is time Panama steps up to the plate also!

The Constitutional Court has declared the practice unconstitutional and has prohibited the granting of new fishing licenses.

Fishing for shrimp with drag nets has been banned “… due to the amount of octopus, small fish, rays, eels, crabs and other marine life that is incidentally captured but not used”, reported Nacion.com.

“Since the notification of this judgment the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Incopesca) will not be able grant any new license or permits for fishing for shrimp with nets. Nor can renew expired permits or reactivate inactive ones”. Valid permits and licenses will remain in force until their expiration as long as the corresponding authorities adhere to the judicial order.

“Perhaps, in relation to the exploitation of fishery resources, it is unfortunate that these aspects which should be more responsive to technical assessments and not other kinds, have led to this situation and to this outcome. We will have to gauge the effects of the ruling as a whole, but certainly iw will produce a significant immediate impact, ” said the CEO of Incopesca, Luis Dobles.

Source: Nacion.com

Our organization, Panama Marine Resource Foundation has been working with Mar Viva here in Panama to protect marine species, limit and enforce illegal commercial fishing and to promote catch and release of billfish in our waters.

Read mar Viva’s newsletter on the subject here