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April 28, 2005 – San José, Costa Rica
Congress members from various parties today sent a petition to Costa Rican President Dr. Abel Pacheco de la Espriella urging him to enforce the national Customs Law and halt foreign shark fishing vessels landing at private docks.
Articles 211 and 212 of the Costa Rican Customs Law clearly prohibit regular landings by foreign vessels at private docks, yet Costa Rican Customs does not enforce the law. Clandestine landings of up to 30 tonnes of shark fins have been witnessed at the private docks. Coastguard officials do not have free access to the docks which have walls 3-4 meters high with razor wire atop. Each month 15-30 foreign shark fishing vessels land at private docks in Costa Rica’s largest Pacific port, Puntarenas.
A group of Congress members signed an almost identical petition to President Pacheco in November of 2004. Immediately following, the Customs Law was enforced. However, since then, Customs has quietly signed resolutions and begun allowing foreign vessels to land once again at private docks. An official complaint has been filed against the Customs Manager who signed the resolutions, Omar Jiménez Camareno. For reasons unknown to PRETOMA, Mr. Jiménez Camareno was recently transferred from his post.
The use of the private docks has resulted in unrecorded imports, lost tax revenues, and given Costa Rica the international reputation as a country that promotes shark finning.
Shark finning is criticized by shark and fisheries experts around the world because it wastes 95% of the shark, sharks are extremely vulnerable to overfishing due to slow reproduction rates, and removal of sharks can have unwanted and damaging impacts on ocean ecosystems.
Studies show global shark populations have declined 80-90% during the last 50 years. It is estimated that over 100 million sharks are killed each year, many just for their fins which can fetch up to US$70 per kilo.
The Congress members’ petition echoes the calls of over 70,000 citizens, over 25 international organizations and over 60 Costa Rican organizations.
“A major concern is that the articles in the new Fishery Law, which prohibit landing of shark fins, will be unenforceable if foreign vessels are allowed to continue landing at private docks in violation of the Customs Law,” says Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. “Costa Rica will continue to be dogged by a reputation as a nation that promotes shark finning interests until the Customs Law is enforced.”
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