Yesterday, Thursday, October 22nd, the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica approved the project of “Sustainable use of shrimp fishing in Costa Rica”, with 28 votes in favor and 18 against.

At the Nosara Civic Association we are totally opposed to this bill and we join the #Noalapescadearrastre movement, led by Fridays For Future Costa Rica and Marviva, where more than 100 non-governmental organizations and non-profit associations in the country have joined together to request a veto of this legislation.

The Executive Power has the veto power to reject a law approved by the deputies of the Legislative Assembly.

Our opposition is based on the strong negative ecological impact that this practice represents:  it destroys species such as sea turtles, sharks, crabs, and stingrays and an endless number of small fish. This type of fishing also destroys environments and communities of organisms on the seabed.

According to the research “Trawling in Costa Rica”, published by the Marviva organization, the capture of unwanted species, in addition to wasting significant amounts of animal protein and jeopardizing food security, has other negative effects. For example, juvenile fish are caught and other fisheries that target them are affected. It reduces the catches of other fishermen and makes it difficult for them to manage their fisheries.

This activity is a great threat to the marine biodiversity of the country that characterizes us so much. It is a blow to the economy of small fishermen who work in an artisanal way.

We are part of a coastal territory in which a law of this type potentially harms communities such as Garza, Guiones Sur and Pelada –  where many of its inhabitants live from artisanal fishing.

If you also want to join this movement, we invite you to use the hashtag #Noalapescadearrastre and to disseminate the actions that are being taken to request the veto of this law.