Conservation

Costa Rica has long been one of the world leaders in the conservation and preservation of its own natural resources. The country’s best resource is the natural beauty and incredible bio-diversity it has been blessed with. Nearly a quarter of the country is preserved in national parks and nature reserves and that kind of governmental protection transcends down to the sport fishing industry. Tourism is the country’s largest and most important industry and everyone from the hotels to the fishing captains does their part to protect the environment and different ecosystems so that it remains one of the world’s most beautiful and popular tourist destinations in the world.

In 2003 Costa Rica actually became the first country in the world to pass a law making the use of circle hooks mandatory while sport fishing. Circle hooks generally provide quality mouth hook-ups which makes for a better catch-and-release and is better for the overall health of the fish. While most anglers agree that circle hooks can lead to more missed fish, using them is well worth it for the future of not only sport fishing in Costa Rica but the survival of the several different species of game fish that call these waters home. One of the biggest advocates of the conservation of billfish in Costa Rica is one of our very own captains, Randy Wilson with Tamarindo Sport Fishing. Originally from Florida, Randy came to Costa Rican in 1974 and has been a leader in not only stressing the importance of billfish conservation but also in developing new fishing techniques and lures. In a letter he wrote to Saltwater Sportsman, he talks about the importance of trying to hook billfish in the soft palate of the mouth forward of gills because it is less harmful to the fish and easier for you to successfully complete the catch-and-release. While you don’t want to bring the fish to the boat too quickly because it will be full of fighting power and can be very dangerous, you also don’t want to fight the fish to the point of physical exhaustion which can kill it. Getting a quality hook-up allows you to control the fish while causing it less stress and minimal harm.

Costa Rica is also a member of The Billfish Foundation and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The Billfish Foundation, founded in 1986, focuses on the conservation and research of marlin, sailfish, spearfish, and swordfish in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean waters. The IATTC was founded in 1950 and is mainly focused on the control of commercial fishing of tuna to make sure the population is not over-fished. Recently the government also finally outlawed the practice of shark fining by foreign vessels and requires all shrimp trawls to have turtle-excluder devices. As a company, Costa Rican Vacations also does our part by working only with trustworthy partners who catch-and-release ALL billfish and practice safe, responsible fishing of all other game species.