Surfing Republic - President vetoes entire trawling project

Alvarado insisted that, despite the evidence and studies presented by the project's proponents, a negative impact linked to this type of fishing, which had been prohibited by the Constitutional Court since 2013, still prevails.

"With the available elements, provided by very different academic, productive and political sectors, the prevailing view is that the reestablishment of this fishing technique would have a negative environmental and socioeconomic impact on sectors such as artisanal fishing, on biodiversity and also on the tourism activity on which so many jobs depend," he added.

The president's veto is a major blow to the 28 deputies who supported the bill in the first and second debates, as they will now have to seek the support of 38 legislators to try to re-sign the law and approve it without going through the Executive branch.

Melvin Núñez, a deputy from the National Restoration party and a major proponent of the project, stated days ago that this would be the course of action if the president vetoed the law, as demanded by a large number of organizations and sectors that opposed this practice.

"I can only thank the President of the Republic for his consistency, his commitment, and the courage to make decisions that prioritize the well-being of the majority. This demonstrates a commitment to the environment, to sustainable employment, to the sustainability of our production and our fisheries, and without a doubt, future generations will appreciate this gesture and will never forget it," said Paola Vega, a member of the ruling party and the project's main opponent.

The project was widely opposed in the legislative plenary due to the environmental impact that, according to its detractors, it would have on the environment, and the questionable nature of the studies carried out by Incopesca to defend the practice.

The discussion was such that almost a year passed between the first and second debate, after a constitutional consultation where the magistrates declared that the project did not contain procedural or formal defects but reserved their vote on its environmental viability.

The argument of those who support the reactivation of this model is that the new locks allowed for a significant reduction in bycatch, that the nets no longer damaged the seabed, but mainly that Puntarenas and other coastal areas of the country have been greatly impoverished by the ban on this practice.

The deputies will meet again next Monday afternoon.

Credits: Teletica.com