Columbia and Costa Rica Team Up to Tighten Shark Legislation

Sometimes it takes something truly eye-opening to catch the attention of world leaders, like the capture of five Costa Rican fisherman found fishing illegally in Columbia’s UNESCO protected Malpelo National Park.

In response to the continued presence of illegal fishing and finning in their waters, Columbia and Costa Rica have teamed up to create a joint taskforce to combat such crimes. Carlos Roverssi, Costa Rica’s Deputy Foreign Minister, called the taskforce a “"a radical attempt to combat the shark finning, with a willingness to apply all administrative and judicial sanctions available,” in a statement.

The action seems long overdue to some environmentalists. Only two months ago, the Columbian government denounced the slaughter of over 2,000 sharks in local waters. Days later, another ship was seized with more than 660lbs of shark fins.