Political Advocacy - Lines of action - Costa Rica
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- Published on Tuesday, 07 February 2012 15:19
- Written by Super User
Political Advocacy Program – Costa Rica
During the first quarter of 2011 in the environs of Cocos Island National Park the new Seamounts Marine Management Area (SMMA) was created. MarViva was a very active actor in the group of non-governmental organizations that promoted this initiative along with the National Conservation Area System (SINAC) and other governmental authorities.
By definition, marine management areas allow natural resource extraction activities by private entities, whenever these are done while obeying the established regulations.
The creation of the SMMA is meant to protect and ensure the sustainable management of the marine and fishery resources in the fragile ecosystems surrounding Cocos Island, and to involve those who fish in the area in its management and responsible fishing practices.
The MarViva Foundation promotes these kinds of initiatives because it believes that conservation goes hand in hand with production, if done adequately.
The Political Advocacy Program presented a draft Marine Spaces Law to the government for the purpose of establishing with certainty the baseline necessary for the definition of Costa Rica’s territorial sea and its Exclusive Economic Zone.
This draft law was positively received by the Executive Power, which recently convened extraordinary sessions of the Legislative Assembly. It is now being reviewed by the Environmental Parliamentary Commission.
The program is working jointly with the Maritime Port Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and the National Coast Guard Service on a draft Aquatic Navigation law, which is currently in an advanced stage.
Work is also constantly being done on institutional strengthening with different public institutions that are involved in one way or another with the effective and efficacious implementation of environmental and fisheries regulations.
