We the attached signatories would like to congratulate you for the proactive stance your administration has taken with respect to marine conservation issues. The recent creation of the Cocos Island Marine Seamount Managed Area will support sustainable fishing initiatives among this country’s national fishers. In addition, closing the private docks to the international shark finning fleet was without a doubt a major accomplishment.

However, the foreign fleet continues to side-step the authorities’ controls by landing fins in Nicaragua, loading them into Costa Rican trucks, and importing them back into this country via Peñas Blancas for their eventual re-exportation.

In order to end the shark finning fleet’s egregious practices – ones that overshadow the marine conservation accomplishments of your government – it’s necessary to prohibit shark fin imports.

This action would have no impact on the national fishing industry or on any other industry that respects our laws.

De aprobarse dicho proyecto, causaría un grave daño a la población de tortugas baula que allí se reproduce. Reduciría aún más su ya de por si insuficiente área de amortiguamiento además de desencadenar el desmantelamiento del sistema de parques nacionales de Costa Rica.

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I wish to express my deep preoccupation in regards to the law project 17383 “Rectificación de Límites del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas y creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Las Baulas de Propiedad Mixta”.

If approved, this law would cause a great damage on leatherback turtle populations which reproduce there. It would reduce the already insufficient protected surrounding area, on top of dismantling Costa Rica's national park system.