Fishing Regulations in Costa Rica

A license is required for anyone wishing to fish in Costa Rica. You can obtain a license for $24 (as of August 2009) in cash at the dock where you rent your boat or join your fishing tour group. Licenses are issued for one year.

In July 2009 the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Ministry (MINAET) passed a law designating certain waterways as protected spaces, allowing only "low-impact eco-tourism" activities in these areas. Although fishing is allowed in these marked areas, you may not use nets or trawlers and commercial fishing is prohibited.

In efforts to sustain the area's sport fishing and tourism, Costa Rica and other Central American countries signed the Billfish Agreement with U.S.-based The Billfish Foundation. Measures are in place to protect sailfish, blue marlin, striped marlin, white marlin, black marlin, swordfish and mahi mahi.

Through this agreement, proper catch-and-release is required by cutting the line as close to the hook as possible, without removing the fish from the water. Using live bait on long-lines is prohibited instead circle hooks should be utilized when using live bait. It's illegal to use a gaff to bring a bill fish next to or into the boat to photograph it

With this agreement, the Costa Rican Federation for Fishing Tourism was established and efforts are underway to make tourism-related improvements such as the construction of 30 mile coastal buffers and prohibiting commercial fishing in specific areas.