The United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) included Costa Rica in a report that lists nations that conduct illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. In the document, the country is accused of not investigating wildlife violations or taking corrective measures and for not providing its fishing data to the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations of which it is a part.
In detail on Costa Rica, specific problems with overexploitation in the fishing of swordfish and white marlin in the North Atlantic are described. These acts were documented in the 2019 report of the same organization and for the last edition it was highlighted that no progress was presented.
For this reason, by 2023 it is requested that the following be implemented:
– Better data collection from its fisheries, including through the implementation of observer programs required by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
– Stop catching swordfish and white marlin from the North Atlantic.
Seven countries, including Costa Rica, are identified as having vessels engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities (IUU fishing). They are: China, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Senegal and Taiwan.
Another 24 states appear in the report as lacking a regulatory program comparable in effectiveness to those of the United States in reducing the bycatch of protected marine life in their fishing operations.
