In Costa Rica, the hammerhead sharks of the Sphyrnidae family are not yet terribly endangered, but conservationists and public officials are proactively moving towards a protective stance. According to online news media site CRHoy.com, steps towards comprehensive conservation of hammerhead sharks are being implemented.

Mision Tiburon (Shark Mission), a non-profit organization in Costa Rica that is committed to protecting marine life and shark conservation, is currently engaged in training personnel from the National System of Conservation Areas (Spanish acronym: SINAC), the National Coast Guard Service and members of the Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA).

The training at this point is scientific, which is a requirement stated in Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which is also referred to as the Washington Convention. Moving to protect a species must have scientific basis, which is what Shark Mission is hoping to achieve with their training of public officials and the Coast Guard in Costa Rica.

Marine biologist Ileana Zanella, co-founder of Shark Mission, explained to CRHoy.com that her organization will perform three more training sessions on shark anatomy and biology. Law enforcement and conservation personnel in Costa Rica will become proficient with regard to knowledge about the species they are sworn to protect. Ms. Zanella is concerned that the current legislation against shark fin poaching is inadequate and might affect hammerhead sharks.

Nefarious shark finning crews do not prefer hammerheads, but they will pursue juveniles and adults indiscriminately if no other elasmobranch species is around. Ms. Zanella believes that adult hammerheads are protected near the Cocos Island sanctuary, although the Costa Rica Star has previously published about the struggle by park rangers and the Coast Guard against poachers and shark finning crews.

Juvenile hammerheads massively swim in schools near the Central and South Pacific coasts of Costa Rica, but as adults they become lone hunters and prefer to prowl the waters of Cocos Island, where they are protected. Ms. Zanella is concerned that juveniles are not protected. In fact, young hammerheads are sought by shark fishermen who have buyers of tender shark meat. Although shark fishing is not illegal in Costa Rica, catching juveniles before they reach reproductive maturity could endanger the species.

With greater scientific training and data, Ms. Zanella hopes that greater protection will be given to hammerhead sharks in Costa Rica.