An update to our previous pleas for protecting billfish in Central America - and in particylar Costa Rica and Guatemala. Pleased top report that work has been going on and progress has been made between the seven members of the Central America group working towards an agenda and statute to protect the sportfishing industry in the region.
It was announced this past week that the seven countries have reached agreement on how to move towards the goal of achieving a sustainable sportfishing industry and fisheries management. The intent is to establish standards and to promote measures to limit longlining and other destructive types of activities - while promoting data collection and fish tagging in order to build a data based plan for the region.
None of this will happen overnight - but it should be viewed as constructive and definitiely progress for anybody involved or concerned with sportfishing particularly for pelagic fish in the region.
Some progress in Costa Rica for Sportfishing for Sailfish
Thursday, June 11th, 2009Whatever happens to support fishing for sailfish in Costa Rica naturally has implications for sailfishing in Guatemala - so we keep a close ear to any glimmer of hope for progress that supports the industry and as a consequence fishing for pelagic fish such as sailfish and Blue Marlin in Guatemala.There continues to be some progress, albeit slow with regards to legislation - or at least some agreed objectives to support and promote sportfishing in Costa Rica - and therefore as a byproduct support of sportfishing up and down the Central American Pacific coast.
Latest progress - as recent as last week - was that officials from local and national fishing organizations and conservation groups met in the town hall in Puerto Jimenez to format a plan that would make the area a “marine area of responsible fishing” (AMPR). If the plan goes forward, in two-and-a-half-years it would eliminate shrimp trawlers from the area and the main focus would be conducting biological studies and teaching gillnet fishermen how to use sustainable fishing practices.
The trawlers, gill nets and longlines collectively pose the greatest threat to the ecosystem that supports and promotes the pelagic fishery - so we regard this (or any similar !) as a step in the right direction.
The Costa Rican Federation for Fishing Tourism (FECOPT) officials presented the outline of a plan to some of the directors of the National Fisheries Institute (INCOPESCA) and members of the National Artisanal Fishing Federation. And all seemed to have one goal, removing fishing nets from the gulf.
Now for the longlines…………
Thankfully our fishing remains strong - read our latest fishing report here :
http://www.greatsailfishing.com/en/weeklyfishing.htm
Tags: blue marlin, costa rica fishing, costa rica sailfishing, fishing guatemala, incopesca, sailfish, The Billfish Fooundation
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