HELP  CREATE  AN  INTERNATIONAL  UNITED  FRONT URGING  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  COSTA  RICA  TO  PROTECT  SHARKSAND  TURTLES  FROM  OVERFISHING  BY  FOREIGN  FLEETS

Over 11,000 Costa Ricans (scientists, congressmembers and citizens) have signed the petition to President Dr. Abel Pacheco calling o­n him to protect Costa Rica's marine resources from overfishing, by stopping foreign fleets from landing shark fins at national ports.

The petition was published in Costa Rica's main newspaper, La Nación, Sección Viva, pg 13, o­n May 25, 2003.  Click here to view a jpg format version of the Full Page Add.More Costa Ricans everyday are signing the call and sending FAXs to the President.

For an English version of the text of the letter, click here.For the shark section of our website, with downloadable video of shark finning and hooked sea turtles (including critically endangered leatherbacks), click here.HELP  US  BRING  INTERNATIONAL  PRESSURE  TO  BEAR

For several years, the Sea Turtle Restoration Project of Costa Rica (PRETOMA) has orchestrated campaigns to create awareness about the plight of our oceans and the threats posed by oversized fishing fleets and pirate fishing activities (see background below).  We have been successful thanks to the support of many of you in the past.  The sharks and sea turtles of Costa Rica and the Eastern Pacific region need your valuable support again.  Costa Rica is a key player in the region's fisheries, and a change of policy would benefit the fishery resources and endangered species of the region.

Below is a draft letter you can send to the office of the president of Costa Rica , or send a FAX to his office (506) 253-9078.   Please also send a copy to us at , or a  FAX to (506) 236 6017.

Better yet.  If you represent an organization or business and would like to give our campaign even greater support, send your letter o­n your organization's letterhead.

We know you are probably really busy, so if you want, simply hit the reply button and include the following text in your message "I support the campaign to stop foreign vessels from landing shark and other fishery products at Costa Rican ports", with your name and affiliation, and we will include you o­n a sign-on letter.

Don't forget to distribute this message to as many folks as you can, friends, relatives, mailing lists.

Thank you for supporting this campaign!

Honorable Dr. Abel PachecoPresident of Costa Rica

I urge you to stop all foreign fishing vessels from landing their catch at Costa Rican ports, until Costa Rica implements effective regulations and a legal framework to control illegal fishing operations (shark finning, piracy) that are decimating our shark populations and driving endangered leatherback sea turtles to extinction.  Such action would demonstrate a commitment to responsible management of marine resources, would be lauded around the world and set an example for other countries to follow.

Background:

For three years PRETOMA has been pushing the Costa Rican government to enforce controls o­n the longline fishing industry which targets sharks strictly for their lucrative fins.  The fins are used for "shark fin soup" in massive Asian markets.  While demand for this dish, considered a status symbol, is strong and growing, sharks are disappearing around the world at alarming rates.  Sharks are captured, their fins are cut off and the bodies, often still alive, are discarded into the sea.  This practice is decimating shark populations and driving endangered marine species, incidentally captured o­n the longline hooks, towards extinction.  In addition, domestic fishermen are suffering economic hardship due to the depletion of local fishery resources.

In 2002, we filed a Constitutional Lawsuit against INCOPESCA, the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute, for failing to implement its own regulation forbidding the landing of shark fins, especially by foreign fleets.  Many of you supported us with letters sent directly to the Judge of the Constitutional Court, explaining the importance of ruling to stop shark finning.  Unfortunately, the federal judge let INCOPESCA off the hook by ruling that the problem was not that INCOPESCA had failed to implement its own regulation, but that INCOPESCA had neither the financial nor human resources to do its job, so they rely o­n a random inspection of vessels, which the Court does not consider arbitrary.

Needless to say, from our perspective, such a ruling does not hold water.  o­nly 8 officers are expected to inspect over 550 Costa Rican vessels and hundreds of foreign vessels, from Taiwan, Malasia, and Indonesia.  The latter can land up to 20 tons of shark fin at a time.

One bright spot of the ruling was that the judge ordered INCOPESCA to obtain the resources necessary to regulate effectively.  Since the ruling however, INCOPESCA has done NOTHING.

Thus, we are cutting to the chase.  We are currently doing a public petition campaign (PSAs o­n TV, newspaper and radio) urging the president to stop foreign fishing vessels from unloading ANY cargo at Costa Rican ports until INCOPESCA can stop the illegal operations; i.e., landing hundreds of tons of shark fins and pirate fishing.

The Costa Rican public is getting o­n board this campaign in unprecedented fashion.  It is rare to meet anyone who has not seen the PSA o­n TV and we have delivered our first book of over 3,120 petition signatures to the President.  More books to come.  After the publication of our Full Page Add that ran o­n May 25 in the largest national newspaper, it is very encouraging to watch signatures come in non-stop over the fax.  Costa Rican fishermen, not surprisingly, are also supportive of the campaign as they are seeing their catch numbers of all species plummet.  The indiscriminate longlining by the hundreds of larger foreign vessels is fishing out Costa Rica's marine resources. 

It is high time for the Costa Rican government to create a responsible fishing industry.  The longline fishing industry is a multimillion dollar operation.  According to the Code of Responsible Fisheries, developed nations engaged in overseas industrial fishery operations have the moral duty to support and fund management in developing nations.  Taiwan recently donated a much needed bridge to Costa Rica.  Why not fund an observer program and research to determine efficient fishing policies in the Eastern Pacific?  Not interested?

Please add international support to the campaign and spread the word!  Thanks again for your support!

Sincerely,

Randall ArauzShark Specialist Group IUCNPrograma Restauración de Tortugas Marinas PRETOMASea Turtle Restoration Project STRP.