The National System of Protected Areas (SINAC), The Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (INCOPESCA), and the STATE have three days to respond
(San José, Costa Rica – September 18, 2025)
Costa Rica will no longer be able to export products from silky sharks nor three species of thresher sharks. This is the order of the Administrative Contentious Court today, accepting the imposition of a precautionary measure filed by environmental attorney Walter Brenes of Energy Law Firm, declaring :a) the inadmissibility of authorizing the export of silky shark and three species of thresher shark products, b) recognition that these species are wildlife threatened with extinction, and c) an absolute prohibition on the export of products from the aforementioned shark species.
Brenes requested the precautionary measure within the framework of a judicial process calling for the prohibition of exporting endangered marine wildlife, which is linked to the ruling of the First Hall of the Supreme Court of Justice dated June 21, 2023. According to the First Hall’s ruling, the declaration of threatened sharks as commercial species and the transfer of their governing body from SINAC to INCOPESCA was an illegal administrative act, clarifying that shark species listed under the National System of Conservation Area’s (SINAC) List of Endangered Marine Coastal Wildlife Species cannot be considered commercial species, and therefore, the export of their products is prohibited under the Wildlife Conservation Law (Article 75).
Despite the ruling, between June 2023 and May 2024, Costa Rica exported 734.4 tons of silky shark meat valued at $1,869,600.00, 45.1 tons of silky shark fins valued at $4,956,000, and 3.4 tons of thresher shark fins valued at $179,900. These exports were irregularly authorized by INCOPESCA, since these species are protected by law due to their endangered status, according to the First Hall of the Supreme Court of Justice.
“Different species of endangered sharks will finally be able to enjoy the legal protection that they were illegally stripped of by the Costa Rican State since May 2017,” celebrated attorney Brenes. “After more than 8 years and several judicial processes, compliance with the ruling of the First Hall of the Supreme Court of Justice will favor the protection of the region’s threatened shark populations,” Brenes affirmed.
“It is frustrating to hear environmental authorities during three consecutive presidential administrations insist that sharks are not wildlife but rather commercial species, to justify the illegal transfer of their governing body from SINAC to INCOPESCA,” lamented Randall Arauz of the Costa Rica-based Rescue Center for Endangered Marine Species (CREMA). “We hope this historic ruling marks a milestone toward the implementation of effective marine conservation policies in Costa Rica, and that the environmental authorities finally fulfill their duty, which is to implement the Wildlife Conservation Law for the management of threatened sharks immediately,” urged Arauz.
For more information:
Walter Brenes
Energy Law Firm
wbrenes@elawf.com
(506) 8995 3068
Randall Arauz
Marine Watch International
rarauz@marinewatch.org
(506) 8708 8253