Fisheries

Since the mid-nineties, PRETOMA has been working with different costal communities throughout Pacific Costa Rica. At first, these initiatives were directed at the conservation of sea turtles at their nesting beaches. However, it soon became clear that to protect nesting beaches alone does not guarantee the survival of sea turtles due to the high level of mortality from commercial fisheries interactions in zones of feeding, mating and migration. Because of this trend, PRETOMA, in cooperation with the fishing sector, has begun compiling information on the capture of sea turtles by different types of fishing gears.

The first research expeditions were carried out with the shrimp fishing fleet with the aim to evaluate the efficiency of the TED (Turtle Excluder Device) in reducing sea turtle interactions with shrimp trawling vessels. Beginning in 1999, PRETOMA added a program to include observers on longline vessels in order to monitor the take of commercial species and bycatch. Thanks to support from the company Alimentos del Mar de Playas del Coco, it has been possible to evaluate the incidental capture of sea turtles as observers aboard more than 30 longline fishing trips. Additionally, PRETOMA has carried out research on the artisanal fisheries in the coastal communities of Guiones, Tárcoles y Caletas on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In Guiones, the interaction of sea turtles and artisanal fisheries was evaluated in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of the Guiones National Wildlife Refuge, while in Tárcoles research focused on the landings of sharks and rays in coastal fisheries. Currently, in the Caletas-Arío National Wildlife Refuge, research is being carried out in order to promote responsible fishing techniques for snapper (Lutjanus guttatus) within the local community.