US Identifies Costa Rica for IUU Fishing Over Longline Monitoring Failures, Conservation Groups Warn

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The United States has formally identified Costa Rica as engaged in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, citing years of failed commitments to establish a national observer program for its industrial pelagic longline fleet. The finding comes in NOAA's 2026 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management and was highlighted in a July 3 press release from CREMA, a Costa Rican marine conservation organization.

According to CREMA, NOAA found that Costa Rica failed to meet mandatory observer coverage requirements set by the...

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