The Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute (Incopesca) announced today they would limit granting permits for tuna fishing in 2017 as a provisional measure while they implement a new model to better regulate the activity.

The Costa Rican Presidency announced that the management model for the tuna industry is being reformulated in order to achieve a better balance between environmental conservation, competitiveness in the fishing sector, and the use of national resources in a sustainable and fair manner.

An executive decree will be drawn up on the issue. Until the decree is approved, the Board of Incopesca agreed to limiting granting new permits for tuna fishing, said the President’s office in a statement.

In addition, Incopesca fixed the ceiling on tuna catches this year at 5,847 metric tons. Fishing vessels will only be allowed to fish until this limit is reached.

The officials also agreed that licenses for tuna fishing in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone will be granted to foreign vessels that demonstrate they dock their catches in Costa Rica and sell their tuna to local processing companies.

The technical director of Incopesca must keep an updated control of the catches in Costa Rican waters to verify that they do not exceed the authorized limit, said the President’s office.

Once the 5,847 metric ton cap is reached, the granting of licenses for this year will be suspended. New permits will be granted again starting in January next year, said officials

“At Incopesca, we are making an effort to consolidate a responsible and balanced fishing model, in which the competitiveness of the fishing sector, social responsibility with the communities that depend on these jobs, and environmental conservation are monitored.” said Gustavo Meneses, executive president of the institute.