President Solis takes new action to protect sharks in Costa Rica.
A week ago, Costa Rica’s President Luis Guillermo Solís was named “Shark Enemy of the Year” by Sharkproject International. Now, the president is fighting to change his reputation.
Supporting the Protection of Sharks
On February 3, ocean conservation group MarViva announced Solis’s support for including more species in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Convention on Migratory Sharks. The international memorandum, which is non-binding, encourages countries to take action so as to protect various species.
According to the document of support issued by the Solis administration on February 2, the following shark species should be included:
- silky shark
- great hammerhead shark
- hammerhead shark
- fox shark
MarViva’s General Director, Jorge A. Jimenez has expressed that the recent announcement of support made by the Costa Rican government gives him hope — even though that same government stood against further protection just a few months ago.
[quote_center]“We believe that this [document of support] is not just rhetoric, and that the government will effectively be proactive in formulating, together with other countries, a Conservation Plan for these species.”[/quote_center]
RdSII
The MoU will be further discussed in Costa Rica at the Second Meeting of Signatories (RdSII) from February 15-19. Through the meeting, participants hope to both improve the knowledge of migratory shark populations through research and increase public awareness of the threats to these animals.