As Costa Rica works to create regulations for its “Bicentennial Marine Management Area,” Dr. Sylvia Earle has offered her support to Turtle Island Restoration Network’s a new campaign push to encourage the Costa Rican government to include a no-fishing zone along the proposed Cocos-Galapagos Swimway. The Swimway lies withing the larger 106,285.56 km2 Bicentennial Management area, which is expected to have varying levels of protection, and is likely to allow some kinds of fishing in some zones within in it.
The Cocos-Galapagos Swimway proposal, supported by hundreds of scientists and environmental organizations was first proposed years ago by Turtle Island and allies more than 10 years and officially became a Sylvia Earle – Mission Blue Hope Spot in 2020, read the press release more here!
In 2022, Ecuador announced a 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) expansion of the Galápagos Marine Reserve, which includes a no-fishing zone most the Ecuadorean portion of the Swimway, but to date Costa Rica has not acted on creating its side of a no-fishing swimway.
“We thank Dr. Sylvia Earle for lending her support and encouraging other scientists to sign on, and are optimistic this new campaign will convince Costa Rica to do its part to make this superhighway for endangered sea turtles and sharks a reality. Such an action is an important part of protection and recovery of species like the Pacific leatherback sea turtle and hammerhead sharks,” said Todd Steiner, Founder of Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Cocos-Galapagos Swimway Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion.
Other individuals and organizations helping at ther ourset to encourage scientists to become signatories of the letter include:
- Dr. Alex Hearn, a professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the Galapagos Hope Spot Champion
- Randall Arauz Cocos Island Hope Spot Champion and Policy Director for Marin Watch International, Costa Rica’s NGO Associacion CREMA (CREMA.cr.org) and
- Marin Conservation Institute
If you are a scientist and willing to sign on in support, please contact Elizabeth Purcell at elizabeth@tirn.net. Stay up to date with the Cocos-Galapagos Swimway campaign with us on social media, you can dive into the issue and how to act by visiting the campaign webpage here.
