The Legislative Assembly is close to approving bottom trawling in Costa Rica.

This is an issue that has been a source of political, social, and economic discord in different sectors of our country over the years.

It all began in 2013, when bottom trawling was suspended by the Constitutional Court for directly threatening marine biodiversity. The practice of bottom trawling had generated licenses for some fishermen to carry out this activity; however, after its suspension in 2017, all these licenses expired, and the sea has had the opportunity to gradually recover.

In 2019 and 2020, the number of fish and their size have noticeably increased, according to the Guanacaste Province Fishermen's Chamber. Measurements have revealed the impact of this technique, which involves sweeping a net across the seabed, regardless of size, type, or any other variable related to the specific species targeted, which in this case is shrimp.

For its part, the Association of Artisanal Panguero Fishermen of Puntarenas (ASOPAPU) has expressed its complete opposition to this fishing technique, stating to the country's press that instead of helping, this style of fishing has impoverished the region's seas, as there is no real control over the activity.

In the legal sphere, our country has a wide range of options for these types of activities. For example, Article 50 of the Political Constitution states that the Costa Rican State must safeguard and guarantee a healthy and ecologically balanced environment for Costa Ricans. It also states that we must conserve the environment in order to preserve it for future generations. And more importantly, when in doubt about the impact of certain human actions and the level of maturity required to carry them out, it is best to leave things as they are.

Two other regulations that apply to this broad topic are those of Wildlife Conservation and Article 105 of the Biodiversity Law, which states that an ecological practice must demonstrate its viability and in this case it is unlikely to be proven and on the contrary the impact could be irreversible.

In a second debate this week, lawmakers will have the opportunity to approve or reject this practice, which has a highly damaging impact on marine biodiversity, as well as on the families of hundreds of artisanal fishermen.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero