For some time now the documentary Shark Waters about the removing of shark fins, has been shown on cable TV around the world bringing to mind all the related process lived in our country. Costa Rica has a starring role in this documentary in which the helplessness and over exploitation endured by the sharks is portrayed, as well as the moments in which this country was awakening and beginning to demand an ending to this cruel, damaging and unsustainable way to make money.
Hammerhead Shark
The sharks are fundamental for the health of the oceans and thus fundamental to guarantee the marine resources for future generations. The campaign against organized by Pretoma in 2004 and which I had the honor to co-lead, broke the silence about what was happening in our private docks with respect to the illegal unloading of tons of shark fins. Citizen's mobilizations were fructiferous and new laws were written that promised to eradicate such awful practices.
However, that has not happened. The laws exist, but they are not been observed. The foreign fishing floats in collusion with national business people and some corrupt functionaries, have found legal loopholes to continue going at it.
The highest courts and the Comptroller's office of the Republic have failed once and again to come out on the side of the sharks, but in spite of everything that has been demonstrated and that has been ordered by the regulatory entities, today there is total noncompliance in which the functionaries of public entities instead of abiding by the directives, cooperate with the fishing companies protecting them so they can continue this devastating practice.
In recent years, some international initiatives are trying to put pressure against the finners, but in some private docks of our country, those are still welcome. In a country that speaks of peace with nature, this should be a subject of extreme urgency. But it is clear, up to now this has not been the case.
We still anxiously wait for the day in which the government wilds the subject as a war banner.
We still anxiously wait the day in which this crime has been eradicated at the roots.
Ecotourism and Nature 
