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Costa Rica Fishing Boat Annual Inspection Begins in Guanacaste

(InfoWebPress) – Starting Feb. 24, the Ministry of Transportation and Public Infrastructure’s (MOPT) Division and Navigation and Safety began inspecting all boats dedicated to fishing in the province of Guanacaste. This work will be done in coordination with the Port Captaincy of Playas del Coco, in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula.

The boat verification procedures — the equivalent of land vehicle technical checks — were started in El Jobo in the morning of Feb. 24, moving to Soley Port in the afternoon, both in La Cruz canton.

The last inspection day will be March 31 in Playas del Coco. Before that, inspectors will visit ports in the Nicoya, Samara and Santa Cruz regions.

These inspections are required for fishermen to renew their navigation permits, which all watercraft must have to be able to take off from port and engage in fishing legally in Costa Rica.

As part of the inspection process, permit-holders must show the inspector, during the day of the boat check, their current navigation permit or the last one they held, in addition to the original and a copy of their boat title and paid government stamps that benefit of the National Coastguard Service (original and photocopy).

Jorge Hernandez Chavarria, director of the National Coastguard Service, said that all fishing boats must also have on board all safety and navigation equipment required, properly installed and working correctly, during the inspection. Regarding safety equipment, it must meet the level of autonomy assigned to the boat (equipment for 3 nautical miles, for 40 nautical miles, or for more than 40 nautical miles).

To pass the inspection, the watercraft must also be in navigable condition and properly painted and have painted on both sides its name, license number and the Costa Rican flag.

Those interested in having their boats inspected to renew their navigation certificate can request an appointment on the same day when inspectors will be in their respective ports, at the Port Captaincy of Playas del Coco or at the General Captaincy of San Jose.

Many Guanacaste fishermen who go through this annual inspection are members of the National Federation of Artisan Fishermen, which brings together small fishermen from Chira Island, Coyote, Venado Island, Ostional, Playa Zancudo and Playa Pavones, among other Costa Rica coastal communities.

According to estimates, the artisan fishermen sector included some 7,000 workers who don’t have an umbrella organization to bring together all the smaller associations formally established on both Costa Rica Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

Goals of the National Federation of Artisan Fishermen include promoting environmentally friendly fishing practices that would protect marine resources — especially in areas with fragile ecosystems, such as the Gulf of Nicoya — and advancing the “farming” of endangered marine species to guarantee their survival.

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