IUU Fishing Among Artisanal Fishers in Costa Rica: Causal Factors and the Effectiveness of Preventive and Repressive Measures

In my presentation, I will show the preliminary results of a research that started in January 2024 and is currently analyzing the case of Cuajiniquil in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The main objective is to identify the relationship between the causal factors of IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing carried out by artisanal fishers in this area, and the effectiveness of governmental measures aimed at preventing and repressing such activities. Specifically, the research explores the following questions: Were the preventive and repressive measures against IUU fishing designed and implemented by national authorities considering its causes? And, therefore, do these measures achieve the expected outcomes? The preliminary results show that these measures are ineffective because they do not consider the reasons why artisanal fishers engage in IUU fishing. These reasons are mainly related to their socio-economic vulnerability, the diminishing of fish stock in the area, and the fact that local and national institutions, particularly those dedicated to controlling fishing activities, are considered illegitimate by artisanal fishers.

A  Cost Rican PhD student enrolled at the "Ecology and Conservation Science for Sustainable Seas (ECOSEAS, Université Côte d'Azur)" has recently started research in Nice (France) on the same topics to compare the results of both studies and generate recommendations to local and national authorities of France and Costa Rica.