Costa Rica
Costa Rica prioritizes the protection of biodiversity, as evidenced by the large number of protected areas currently in place. Tourism is central to the country’s economy, driving many conservation initiatives. Costa Rica is in the process of developing a new national development plan for 2015-2019. Currently, there are initiatives for civil society governance models, such as the Marine Areas for Responsible Fishing that are of interest to the REBYC-II LAC project in the context of co-management. In 2013, Costa Rica banned shrimp trawling through a non-renewal of industrial fishing licenses program. The REBYC-II LAC project national activities include an analysis of the alternative livelihoods of fishermen who have been affected by the shrimp trawl ban.
REBYC-II LAC Pilot Sites: Costa Rica has two sites: Golfo de Nicoya and outside the Golfo de Nicoya on the Pacific coast.
Recent news from Costa Rica
Barra del Colorado, the first Fisheries Management Plan for a responsible fishing area in Costa Rica
As part of the activities framed within the REBYC II LAC project, and given the legislative restrictions towards shrimp trawling in Costa Rica, organized communities, along with fishing authorities and the scientific community, promoted the creation of the first “Responsible Fisheries Management Plan for Barra del Colorado”; its main objective...
27/05/2020
The guidelines are an FAO international instrument to promote responsible fishing, minimizing catches and mortality of species
The first trainings take place in the Gulf of Nicoya on Venado Island from August 5 to 8 during closed seasons
August 06, 2019, San José, Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture...
07/08/2019
The Steering Committee of the REBYC-II LAC Project met on the 27th of February 2019, in Santa Marta, Colombia. During this event, a recount was made of the successes and challenges of the project. These have been recorded in the following video:
11/03/2019
Sustainable development is promoted by the fishing sector
More than 400 fishers, including women, learn about the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), to achieve the sustainability of small-scale fisheries. The...
03/10/2018
July 9th, San José. Costa Rica drafted a bill to guarantee the development of the artisanal fishing sector and to benefit the local coastal communities, according to The State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 (SOFIA), a publication of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The new report...
13/07/2018
• The Voluntary Guidelines for achieving fisheries sustainability seek to make visible, recognize and promote the valuable role of small-scale fisheries and help eradicate hunger and poverty
Sonia Medina, a fisherwoman from Isla Venado and president of the local Association of fishers of Florida, Isla Venado de Puntarenas shares in Olinda,...
03/07/2018
The ecosystem approach seeks to balance ecological and human well-being through good governance.
March 15, San Jose, Costa Rica. Technicians from the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) learn about the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), with the purpose of developing a plan for the integral management of...
15/03/2018
Regional meeting promotes the exchange of experiences, problems and approach of solutions for the different countries that work on the project
REBYC-II LAC’s steering committee learned about the greatest progress made in Latin American and The Caribbean and approved the work plan proposed for 2018
San Jose, November 2017. Scientists, fishery experts...
13/12/2017
REBYC will conduct the first tests with bycatch reduction devices (BRD) to understand their impact on catch composition in Costa Rican bottom trawl fisheries.
Vessels from Puntarenas will participate in the research that is being carried out in a transparent, shared and participatory process.
Puntarenas, July 26th, 2017. Fishers, fish workers...
07/11/2017
FAO is helping revolutionize fishing livelihoods in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Sustainable Management of Bycatch in Latin America and Caribbean Trawl Fisheries (REBYC-II LAC) project seeks to reduce food loss and enhance food availability by improving the management and use of bycatch and...
08/06/2017