Exporters await approval from SINAC on February 22 to begin shipments
San José, Costa Rica – February 2, 2017
Shark fins
The national fisheries sector has amassed at least 8 tons of hammerhead shark fins since March 1, 2015 when the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) first banned the export of hammerhead products of any kind. In 2015 alone 4.5 tons of hammerhead fins were landed in Puntarenas. On average, each boat in the Costa Rican longline fleet landed between 5-10 kilos of fins, though some landings were upwards of 466 kilos. Despite the lack of information from the national shark fishery’s 2016 total catch, a safe estimate is that the fleet caught a similar amount of fins to the year before, leading to a conservative estimate of 8 tons. The total weight of an adult hammerhead’s fins is approximately 1 kilo, meaning that 8,000 individuals were sacrificed so that their fins could be stockpiled and eventually exported to Hong Kong.
Up to this moment, Costa Rica’s current government has not done anything to improve the conservation of hammerhead sharks”, said Andy Bystrom of the Costa Rican organization CREMA. “The government has chosen to side with the national shark fishing fleet and Puntarenas exporters in their quest to drive hammerheads into extinction,” continued Bystrom.
“February 22 will be a decisive day for the future of hammerhead sharks as it will decide the fate of the 8 tons of stockpiled hammerhead fins,” said Randall Arauz for the international organization Fins Attached. “We know all of the tricks the authorities are up to, and if we allow this shipment of fins to happen, the killing of hammerheads in order to export their fins to Hong Kong will continue uninterrupted in Costa Rica until they are extinct,” continued Arauz.
For more information:
Randall Arauz
Policy and organizational development specialist-Fins Attached
rarauz@finsattached.org (506) 8708 8253
Andy Bystrom
Consultor – CREMA (506) 8764-4839
Es realmente desgastante tener que estar vigilando de forma incansablelas acciones del ser humano nefastas y adictas al comercio que sólo beneficia finalmente a unos cuántos. Alto a los pretextos injustificados para seguir matando a todas nuestras especies, el comercio se ha dedicado a través de toda la historia a mentir y manipular información para sumergirnos a todos en su sucio sistema. No requerimos a los animales para vivir, y sólo así, seríamos un mejor mundo y podremos conservar nuestro planeta.
Tienes razón Gabriela. Te invitamos a ayudarnos para conseguir firmas de la petición al Presidente de Costa Rica para que emita el decreto presidencial y prohíba en forma definitiva la exportación del alijo de aletas del tiburón martillo.
This is despicable and should not be tolerated. I vacationed in Cost Rica two years ago and refuse to go back until they end this horrific practice. Costa Rica’s economy heavily relies on tourism. If everyone boycotts this country maybe that would send a message loud and clear.
El único lugar en el mundo en el cual había la gran posibilidad de tener un sitio donde hubiera gran cantidad de flora y fauna; por lo bien protegida. Ahora ya no.
Soy un testigo fiel de la cantidad de peces en isla COCO.
Que nuestros nietos ya no han de conocer.
Sin embargo pienso que el amor a la naturaleza sería la mejor forma traducir que los valores humanos son los únicas vías de supervivencia humana.
8 tons of hammerhead shark fins stockpiled in Puntarenas, Costa Rica STOP the slaughter of Hammerhead sharks!