Motivaciones para la pesca de captura y liberación en Costa Rica: valorando las especies vivas de peces
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/am22z874Keywords:
recreational fishing; catch-and-release; fisher satisfaction; participatory governance; public policy.Abstract
Introduction: Recreational fishing in Costa Rica is an important economic and social activity, but it faces challenges associated with declining fish populations, reduced fishing sites, and inadequate management. Catch-and-release (C&R) has become the sector’s primary initiative to reduce impacts and ensure the sustainable use of the resource.
Objectives: To explore the motivations and actions underlying the implementation of C&R to understand the ecological, social, and economic value of this practice, as well its implications for the sector’s governance.
Methods: Qualitative thematic analysis of 13 interviews and 10 focus groups conducted between 2024 and 2025 with stakeholders from the recreational fishing sector in Costa Rica.
Results: Conservation and recreational fishing best practices emerges as central themes. Five actions and motivations associated with the implementation of C&R were identified. In response to the perceived decline in fish populations, the primary motivation was to maintain fishing opportunities for target species. Additional motivations included the formalization of the activity, the maintenance of profitability, employment generation, and the improvement of fisheries governance. Actions focused on the promotion of C&R best practices, providing training in fishing and tourism, supplying fishing gear, and monitoring the status of the resource.
Conclusions: The implementation of C&R in Costa Rican recreational fisheries has occurred primarily through voluntary sector initiatives. This implementation responds to concerns regarding declining fish populations and seeks to preserve the benefits of recreational fishing tourism. However, gaps in information and governance mechanisms still persist, limiting the strengthening of participatory use, control, and evaluation of C&R in coordination with other fisheries.
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