Costa Rica is still in the scene of countries that do not protect sharks
So?
Hammerhead sharks are Critically Endangered, and Costa Rica lands 10,000 specimens per year, with the joint blessing of the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute INCOPESCA the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission IATTC and the Central American Regional Fisheries Body Sica Ospesca.
Furthermore, no country in Latin America abides by CITES, as Appendix II species are exported to Hong Kong without Non-Detrimental Findings (NDFs), with the exception of Costa Rica with 4 hammerhead shark NDFs and two NDFs for silky and thresher sharks (that’s gotta be some kind of record).
All this is possible because Environmental laws are overridden by Fisheries Laws with the consent of the governments…And the whole world is OK with this (Let’s see the Australian case).
Related to this issue we have taken the Costa Rican government to Court over this following the lead of Walter Brenes Energy Law Firm. #SharksAreWildlife and Critically Endangered species like hammerhead sharks should enjoy total protection from fisheries (retention and commercialization ban), and restrictions should be imposed on Endangered and Vulnerable species, such as fisheries effort controls, catch limitations and size restrictions.
As long as fisheries legislation is imposed to manage sharks, and domestic wildlife and biodiversity conservation laws aren’t abided by, the detriment to their populations will continue until they are in fact, extinct.
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