The Nicoya Peninsula artisanal snapper fishery, located in the nearshore waters of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, has entered the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) full assessment process, becoming the first Central American and snapper fishery to enter the program.
Targeted species in the fishery are spotted rose snapper, yellow snapper, and tallfin croaker.
The Nicoya Peninsula artisanal snapper fishery includes all Pacific waters from the northern Pacific border with Nicaragua to the point of Cabo Blanco in the south. There are 40 vessels used by 25 to 30 families based in the coastal villages of San Francisco de Coyote and Bejuco. ASPEPUCO and ASOBEJUCO, the artisanal fishing associations of San Francisco de Coyote and Bejuco, mandate local regulations and best fishery practices.
Fishers use artisanal bottom longlines in small vessels - known as pangas - to harvest fish year-round, though fishing generally ceases during October which is snapper spawning season and a time of year marked by increased rain. The snapper are marketed domestically with the potential for international export once processing facilities are built.
The client for this assessment is the Costa Rican Environmental and Educational Network (ARCAE), a Costa Rican environmental and educational non-profit promoting responsible and sustainable fishing practices for the country’s small scale fisheries. The organisation is administering grants obtained by the Sea Turtle Restoration Program (Pretoma) to fund the assessment. Certificate sharing may be available in the future if other fisher groups agree to fishery best practices as stipulated in the local management plan.
