This Grilled Marlin (including Sailfish) are no longer on the menus at four of Costa Rica's Hilton Hotels.
In a bold move, Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Costa Rica’s restaurants set example for others in promoting sportfishing ecotourism by taking sailfish and marlin off their menus.
They adopted the stance after working with The Billfish Foundation and the
Costa Rica Sport Fishing Federation (FECOPT).
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. USA. – The Billfish Foundation (TBF) entered into an agreement with its conservation partner, the Costa Rica Sport Fishing Federation (FECOPT) and four participating Hilton Worldwide hotels in Costa Rica, pledging to stop serving all sailfish and marlin.
Because of a socio-economic study released last year by TBF showing the huge economic value of sportfishing tourism to Costa Rica, the participating hotels adopted the ban on billfish from their restaurants in part to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in the nation.
The four properties include the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Costa Rica in Puntarenas, the DoubleTree Cariari by Hilton San Jose, the Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort and Spa, and the Hilton Garden Inn Liberia Airport. The bold conservation move with the hotels and resorts came after two months of discussions with FECOPT Executive Director Enrique Ramirez. Read more... (623 words, 2 images, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. USA. – Costa Rican government officials released information to The Billfish Foundation (TBF) of the seizure from a seafood exporter, of over 7,000 kilos of sailfish meat bound for Peru. Sailfish are protected species in the popular Costa Rican fishery.
Tico Times Editor Note: Costa Rica’s ban of exporting billfish meat was established in Jan 2009.
Investigators from two agencies — SENASA (National Animal Health Service) and INCOPESCA (Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute) — seized 7012 kilos of whole sailfish carcasses. The company had falsified documents declaring the shipment as striped marlin which is presently a legal billfish for exporting.
The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Chief Scientist Dr. Russell Nelson and TBF Central American Conservation Director Herbert Nanne received word of the seizure from Dr. Rolando Ramirez of INCOPESCA.
Tropical Seafood Export SA - Producto Marlin Rosado Congelado
Costa Rica Sport Fishing Federation (FECOPT) Executive Director Enrique Ramirez said in newspaper reports that illegal commercial fishing and the exporting of sailfish meat had been reported for months as FECOPT tried to get the authorities to take action. FECOPT was formed to represent the interests of its anglers and the sport fishing tourism industry. Read more... (521 words, 4 images, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tourism is Costa Rica’s top industry and new research shows North Americans traveling there in 2008 to fish generated $599 million – or about two percent of Costa Rica’s gross domestic product.
The study, conducted in 2009 by The Billfish Foundation, Southwick Associates and the University of Costa Rica, revealed 283,790 anglers visited Costa Rica and their economic impact even overshadowed commercial fishing. It was estimated 22 percent of those tourists visited the country for the exclusive purpose of fishing.
Recreational fishing surpasses commercial fishing revenue; more CR jobs.
From that $599 million the study also showed sportfishing generated almost $78 million in tax revenues for Costa Rica and 63,000 jobs. In comparison, the effect of commercial fishing for the same species sought by anglers generated approximately $528 million to Costa Rica’s gross domestic product. Commercial fishing contributed $68.6 million in tax revenue and created 57,000 jobs.
“We have already had the opportunity to present the results of this study to the incoming vice president and minister of tourism,” said Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation. “And we will be making a formal presentation to a wider cross sector of government and business leaders this summer. The leadership in Costa Rica had no idea that their country receives more benefits from a sustainable recreational harvest than from the subsidized excessive effort in the commercial fishery.” Read more... (964 words, 2 images, estimated 3:51 mins reading time)
A happy angler's catch/release from IFGA 2006 Worlds Best Captain Bobby McGuinness @ 4costaricafishing.com
After nearly a year, Costa Rica and remaining countries of Central America have approved an agreement with The Billfish Foundation (TBF) to create a sustainable management plan for billfish and other popular game fish vital to growing sport fishing and tourism in the region. In Jan, 2009, the TBF successfully reached a ban on exporting billfish meat.
The agreement between TBF and the Organization of Fisheries and Aquaculture for the Isthmus of Central America (OSPESCA) was signed by OSPESCA President Steadman Fagoth Muller, of Nicaragua, and Nelson (scientific director for TBF). OSPESCA Executive Director Mario Gonzalez Recino presided over the ceremony and along with Nelson presented the Nicaraguan Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture with a computer and programs for use in collecting, managing, and analyzing sport fisheries data such as the migratory habits of sailfish, marlin, dorado and swordfish and to protect billfish mainly from over fishing by commercial interests, while implementing tag & release programs for sportsmen. Costa Rica sport fishing captains for years have honored the catch and release fishing. Read more... (256 words, 1 image, estimated 1:01 mins reading time)
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