Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber brings to a halt Fishing Institute’s (Incopesca) attempt of reactivating trawling permits.

The Sala Cuarta or Consitutional Chamber, analyzed two constitutional appeals (recursos de amparo) and upheld the claims, declaring in this way null the Fishing Institute’s agreement to reissue shrimp trawling permits. “By majority we uphold the claim the appeal. We declare the agreement AJDIP/474-2017 of session 046-2017 of November 10, 2017 null”, declared the Constitutional Chamber.

Even though back in 2013, the Sala Cuarta had made clear its position by forbidden the renovation or emission of new trawling permits due to the environmental damages this practice causes, Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute ( Incopesca) extended new licenses at the end of last year claiming that these had “particular characteristics for sustainable shrimp trawling by establishing 25 regulatory improvements, that guarantee better conditions for the protection of marine resources in a sustainable way, while also respecting the principle of responsible use of resources, allowing artisan fishing and industrial fishing to develop in harmony and with the necessary controls through the constant revision of technical and environmental criteria”

Even though the sentence of 2013 of the Constitutional Chamber also established that “the only way they could reconsider allowing this practice would be if enough changes were met to make it a sustainable practice”, it also made clear that his “would need to be demonstrated through technical studies supported by the scientific community”, procedure not followed by Incopesca.

Incopesca will have to pay the costs and damages that originated from this process.