Updated July 10, 2019
About 330 miles (532 kilometers) off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast lies Cocos Island, one of the most sought-after shark diving destinations in the world. Jacques Cousteau called it the “most beautiful island in the world”. It was established as a marine protected area in 1982 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Cocos is known for its varied shark population, and many species migrate here from the Galapagos Islands. The endangered Scalloped Hammerhead, one of the most recognizable species of shark, is indicative of Costa Rica and Cocos Island in particular. While fishing is prohibited inside a 12 mile radius around the island, the region’s remoteness makes it extremely difficult to prevent illegal fishing. Former president Luis Solis committed to quadrupling the size of the marine park in 2016, but he left office without fulfilling his promise under pressure from fishing groups.1
Costa Rica has designated a total of 31 marine protected areas. However, shark fishing is permitted in most of them, with fishermen allowed to take an amount that they each consider “sustainable”.
While not yet designated a MPA, the Golfo Dulce Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary was established in May 2018 to protect this important nursery habitat for the scalloped hammerhead. Although juvenile hammerheads are too small to be harvested for their fins, they are often used as bait for larger sharks. While the species is protected at Cocos Island and in the Galapagos, there are few conservation efforts in coastal and nursery areas, leaving future populations vulnerable.2
Laws & Loopholes
Costa Rica is a signatory to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In 2012, Costa Rica passed a ban on both shark finning in coastal waters and the importation of shark fins. However, enforcement is lax, and a powerful mafia dominates the trading of shark fins for export to Asia. In response to pressure from the powerful local fishing industry, in 2015 the government announced it would no longer “propose or support” international protections for commercially important shark species.3 After a backlash from conservation groups, the government insists that it hasn’t backtracked on shark protections even though the fishing sector faces no restrictions for sustainable fishing of even endangered shark species.4
What You Can Do
Resident
- Push for bans on fishing for sharks in all marine protected areas.
- Advocate for the allocation of additional funding for enforcement of anti-finning.
- Do not consume shark meat.
Visitors
- Report illegal fishing and finning.
- Do not consume shark meat.
Places To Dive With Sharks
Costa Rica is home to a range of sharks species, and sharks are common sightings on most dives on either the Pacific or Caribbean side of the country.
- Cocos Island – Scalloped Hammerheads, Thresher Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Silky Sharks, Whale Sharks. (June-September)
- Bat Islands – Bull Sharks.
1 Deal to Protect Waters Around ‘Jurassic Park Island’ Falls Through
2 Hammerhead Shark Will Receive More Protection in the Costa Rican Pacific
3 Costa Rica government vows to no longer support international shark protections
4 Costa Rica says it will support new shark protections despite agreements with fishermen