FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (please distribute widely)

CONTACT: Randall Arauz, President
TEL:  +(506) 241-5227
FAX:  +(506) 236-6017

Call to all Costa Rican Biologists for Petition to Modify Shark Finning Regulation

August 25, 2004 - San Jose, Costa Rica
PRETOMA calls o­n all fellow Costa Rican biologists to sign an o­nline petition urging INCOPESCA (Costa Rica's Fishery Management Institute) to modify its current shark finning regulation. 

The current regulation was passed in October of 2003 and is called "Protection, utilization and commercialization of sharks and shark fins".    http://www.tortugamarina.org/downloads/pdf/PlanColegioBiologos.pdf

The regulation was immediately questioned and criticized by PRETOMA and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group as a measure that promotes shark finning.  The IUCN Shark Specialist Group sent a letter directly to President Pacheco calling for modifications.
Click for letter http://www.tortugamarina.org/downloads/UICNSSG.jpg 

The regulation:
• Contradicts the best scientific shark data available;
• Contradicts the IUCN Shark Specialist Group recommendations for shark management;
• Contradicts the UN FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (officially adopted by Costa Rica via formal decree in 1999);
• Calls o­n biologists to review shark fin landings at unauthorized private docks in violation of Costa Rican Customs Law.

As a result of the regulation, shark specialists around the world consider Costa Rica as a country that officially promotes shark finning.

"The bottom line is that INCOPESCA did not use science to create this regulation," says Randall Arauz of PRETOMA. 

The report the regulation is based o­n is incomplete.  It does not have background, discussion, nor cited bibliography sections and contains the word "draft" in the title. 
Click for report www.tortugamarina.org/downloads/tiburones.doc
(or contact PRETOMA to receive a copy via fax)    

"The report ignores published scientific data that refutes its results," says Jorge Ballestero of PRETOMA.  "Therefore, the report can o­nly be considered subjective and any management based o­n it is thus, capricious."  

"INCOPESCA used unpublished data from an incomplete and subjective study to create the regulation.  The two presidents of INCOPESCA and the Union of Biologists, who oddly endorsed this study, and the President of Costa Rica, need to hear this so that appropriate modifications can be made," says Arauz.

PRETOMA asks all Costa Rican biologists to send an e-mail letter to the presidents of INCOPESCA and the Union of Biologists with copies to President Pacheco and Ministry of Environment, urging modifications that would bring the regulation in alignment with the best scientific data, IUCN and FAO recommendations and Costa Rican law. 

See below for a Sample Petition which can be copied and pasted.

Dirigida a:
Lic. Noemí Canet, Presidenta del Colegio de Biólogos de Costa Rica,
Prof. Ligia Castro, Presidenta Ejecutiva del INCOPESCA,

Con copia a:
Dr. Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, Presidente de la Republica,
Dr. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Ministro de MINAE,
Gerardo Solórzano Bákit, Asesor del Ministro MINAE,  
PRETOMA,

Lic. Noemí Canet
Presidenta del Colegio de Biólogos de Costa Rica

Prof. Ligia Castro
Presidenta Ejecutiva del INCOPESCA

Estimadas Señoras:

Yo, (nombre), (número de cédula), miembro del Colegio de Biólogos de Costa Rica (si es miembro), hago un llamado para que el "Reglamento para la protección, aprovechamiento y comercialización del tiburón y de la aleta del tiburón" - AJDIP / 415-2003 sea modificado para permitir únicamente la descarga de aletas de tiburón adheridas a los cuerpos en forma natural, y que los Regentes Pesqueros del Colegio de Biólogos de Costa Rica solamente trabajen en los muelles que son públicos o que hayan obtenido la habilitación correspondiente mediante resolución de la Dirección General, para realizar operaciones de llegada o salida de vehículos, carga o descarga de mercancías, en cumplimiento del Artículo 212 inciso b) de la Ley Reglamento General de Aduanas.