The government of Costa Rica is folding under the pressure exerted by the powerful shark fin lobby, and may allow the exportation of over 5 tons of endangered hammerhead shark fins to Hong Kong, banned as of March 1st of 2015 after the species was listed under Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) in March of 2013.  The exportation of this stockpile would constitute a flagrant violation of Costa Rica’s Wildlife Conservation Law, Article 75 of which bans the exportation of products belonging to such listed species, unless they can be traced to artificial cultivation methods.

In a total disregard towards domestic legislation, Costa Rican authorities are setting their hopes on modifying the recommendation of Costa Rica’s Council of Scientific Authority Representatives known by its acronym as CRACCITES, issued in August of 2016, from supporting a continued ban on the exportation of hammerhead shark fins to an allowance under conditions that guarantee sustainability.  This would technically open the door to export the stockpile.  Furthermore, the authorities have gone through a considerable degree of work to modify the rules that govern CRACCITES by promulgating an executive decrees that basically results accommodating to the interests of the shark fin exporting industry.  To pull this off, the authorities must not only disregard domestic legislation, they also decided to ignore that CITES allows for countries to promulgate legislation even stronger than the convention’s regulations.

Let´s tell President Luis Guillermo Solís to stop his adminstration’s actions to export the 5 ton stockpile of hammerhead shark fins, and to order the authorities to abide by Costa Rica’s Wildlife Conservation Law.  Otherwise, Costa Rica will make a mockery of CITES, by allowing the exportation of stockpiles to undermine the spirit of the convention, and will affect the country’s reputation as a conservation minded country.

 The Costa Rican Center for Restoration of Endangered Marine Animals CREMA (www.cremacr.org the Colorado based marine conservation organization Fins Attached (www.finsattached.org and the Spain based non-profit Nakawe Project, working together as the #SharksAlive coalition, are determined to prevent this governmental action.  The allowance to export the stockpile lacks any technical justification whatsoever, it further threatens endangered hammerhead shark populations, and is motivated by nothing else than short term financial profit.

Sign the petition and show the Costa Rican authorities your concern for these actions and let them hear that you will not allow them to violate our own domestic laws for financial gain.

Hammerhead sharks are the country’s natural resource, they belong to all Costa Ricans.  We need them in our waters to guarantee functional ecosystems, so the ocean can provide the ecosystem services we need as a society, including food security.  They do not belong to the longline industry to exploit until extinction.

Sharks Alive Campaign Coalition

CREMA – Fins Attached - Nakawe Project

info@nakaweproject.org

Dear Mr President,

 Through this letter I would like to express my most sincere protest against the continues efforts of your government to disobey our international commitments to protect the hammerhead sharks.

Almost 4 years ago (March 2013), Costa Rica proudly lead the global process to protect hammerhead sharks under the Appendix II of CITES. Unfortunately, your government has been and keeps making huge efforts to avoid this commitment and responsibility. Currently, important members of your government are trying hard to convince the Council of Authority Representatives CITES to allow the export of more than 5 tons of hammheard shark fins stockpiled since the ban export in March 2015. This export constitutes a major threat for the endangered hammerhead shark and a direct violation of the 75th Article  of the Wildlife Conservation Law, and a mock of CITES. I beg you to continue with your good practices to protect the hammerhead shark and strictly obey our National legislation and international commitments.