PRETOMA receives honors from The World Conservation Union IUCN
Written by Admin
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
PRETOMA receives honors from The World Conservation Union IUCN
For its fight against illegal shark finning
(September 11, 2007 - San José, Costa Rica)
IUCN – The World Conservation Union has awarded the Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas (PRETOMA) with an Honorable Mention for its campaign against illegal shark finning in Costa Rica. The honorable mention was done in the framework of the IUCN’s “Premio Antorcha Ambiental” or Environmental Torch Award, given to environmental organizations to recognize their influence on environmental policy.
“On behalf of the entire PRETOMA team, we appreciate this gesture from the IUCN, and it encourages us to continue working towards the completion of our mission and objectives,” declared Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. “I would also like to thank the Costa Rican public and our supporters around the world, who have supported our work tremendously; support without which it would have been difficult to achieve these political successes.”
PRETOMA’s mission is to protect sea turtles, sharks and their habitats, and was chosen by the Environmental Torch Award selection committee to receive an Honorable Mention for its project, “Responsible Shark Fishing in Costa Rica,” that has been centered around fighting illegal shark finning since 2001, and has had a substantial positive environmental impact in the region.
This project has had a direct impact on national fisheries to prevent shark finning, a cruel practice in which only the fins of sharks are utilized and the rest of the animal is discarded. Costa Rica not only prohibits this practice, condemned by international fisheries forums, but also requires that sharks be landed at ports with fins attached, a simple but effective practice. Other countries in the region, including El Salvador, Panama and Colombia, have adopted these same policies to avoid shark finning in their waters.
The Environmental Torch Award was awarded to the Honduran Committee for the Defense and Development of the Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF). The Salvadoran Program for Research and Development of the Environment (PRISMA) also received an Honorable Mention.
In order to deliver the Award and honorable mentions recognizing the efforts of these environmental organizations, IUCN – The World Conservation Union is organizing a ceremony to take place on September 13 at 6:00pm in the Museum of Art (MARTE) in San Salvador, located on Revolution Avenue, San Benito.
