Puntarenas, Costa Rica Fishing Tournament Closed to Longliners

Panama fishing vessel

Agreement yields longline closure for this weekend’s Costa Rica fishing tournament  40-mile area commercial closure during Presidential Challenge, March 1 - 4  PUNTARENAS, Costa Rica -- (Feb. 27, 2012) – Recreational sportfishing and billfish conservation have made a huge impact on Costa Rica’s tourism and economy.  In a groundbreaking move and through a joint … [Read more...]

Costa Rica Fishing License – Fishing and Boat Fees Increase

Costa Rica Fishing License

In the past, tourist and nonresident anglers could pick whether or not they wanted a monthly ($13 USD) and/or yearly fishing license ($25 USD). Considering that most anglers come to fish once a year (about 98%) they’d pick the cheaper.  Fishermen who don't know this in advance have been known to get a little upset at having to shell out cash at the dock to get one before they set forth on a … [Read more...]

Costa Rica Sashimi – You Can Not Get It Fresher Than This

Bloody Fish

One of the bad things about growing up in a beach community and fishing since you can remember, you know what fresh fish is. So when a friend invited me to this new trendy sushi place in San Diego that boasted it had the freshest fish in town, I balked. She continued saying, “The Ahi (or Yellowfin) is flown in daily, and the sashimi is out of this world!” FRESH! - I chuckled. She and the … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Sportfishing and Tourism Commission Adds TBF’s Conservation Directors

Herbert Nanne TBF Costa Rica

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica --- Costa Rica, one of the world’s premier sportfishing destinations, has named Herbert Nanne, and Monica Gutierrez to the country’s recently formed Sportfishing and Tourism Commission. Nanne is a biologist and The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) Central America Conservation Director. Gutierrez is a lawyer and President of Pronature, a sister conservation entity to … [Read more...]

Bobby McGuinness – IGFA World’s Top Captain in 2010

International Game Fish Association - Worlds Top Captain - 2011

Captain Bobby McGuinness has done it again! For the second time in his illustrious 30 years as a sportfishing captain in Costa Rica, Bobby McGuinness was named the year's (2010) top captain in the world by the prestigious International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The IGFA also presented Bobby with its 2010 Lifetime Achievement award. See Bobby McGuinness Video This is the second time … [Read more...]

Panama Launches Sportfishing Tourism Study

Panama Black Marlin

The Billfish Foundation tapped to conduct 18 month long socio-economic research... PANAMA CITY, Panama and FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., USA – Panama’s minister of science, technology and innovation has announced a socio-economic research study on the impact of sportfishing tourism. The Billfish Foundation in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., will conduct the research. In a conference call, Dr. Ruben … [Read more...]

Ocean’s Dead Zones Increase – Billfish More Exposed to Capture In Costa Rica and Other Places

Billfish Dead Zone

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. USA. – With the New Year comes new challenges to fish in our world’s oceans and one of the major concerns is the expansion of hypoxic zones. That’s the scientific name but more recreational anglers are becoming aware of them as “dead zones.” They are areas in the oceans with low or non-existent oxygen levels which, according to a recently released research study … [Read more...]

Panama, First Central American Country, Restricts Longlining

Panama - longlining vessel

PANAMA CITY, Panama and FT.  LAUDERDALE, Fla., USA  – After banning commercial purse seining from its waters in July, the Republic  of Panama has taken  further steps adding restrictions on longlining for the conservation of  its marine life and its socio-economic growth. In letters to Panamanian  officials, Ellen Peel, President of  The Billfish Foundation and Chris  Fischer founder … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s 2010 Sportfishing Season Ends

Jim Tyson Snook

"The anglers were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of roosterfish danced in their heads". Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote 'Twas the Night before Christmas' almost 200 years ago, for this bit of poetic license. Of course, had he been a fisherman — and we can't rule that out — he would surely understand. There was more than roosterfish on the mind of Steve Hanna … [Read more...]

Costa Rica Sportfishing Vessel Attacked Off Garza – Tourists Threatened

The helicopter from La Rosa Mistica circles the area around the sportfishing boat

Helicopter drops explosive devices as Venezuela tuna seiner threatens tourists; tenth attack in past two years ... GARZA, Costa Rica and FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida, USA --- A U.S. based world fisheries conservation association is demanding disciplinary action after the attack by a commercial Venezuelan tuna purse seining vessel and its helicopter on a sportfishing boat off the coast of … [Read more...]

Costa Rica Commercial Fishing Fleet Is being Tracked by Satellite

A Costa Rica shrimp industry will be tracked via sat

In Sept, 2009  Costa Rican Fishing Institute (Incopesca) and with the help of organizations like The Billfish Association, established a satellite monitoring system to monitor and control the activity of the fishing vessels engaged in tuna fishing with purse seines in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Costa Rica. Generally, a countries EEZ extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Endangered Species – The Shrimp Fishermen

Rufusing to use Turtle Excluder Devices, the next endangered species may be Costa Rica's Shrimp Fishermen

If there was a golden opportunity for Costa Rica to capitalize on a need of Gringo's taste buds,  and to help stimulate their economy it is now. But unfortunately, for a country that has been one of the heavy weights of ecology, they, have turned their backs on a major eco problem that if not corrected, will have sever consequences. Back in May, 2005 the U.S. had banned Costa Rica Shrimp … [Read more...]