Tag Archives: Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment Joins Efforts with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

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https://news.co.cr/video-costa-ricas-ministry-of-environment-joins-efforts-with-sea-shepherd-conservation-society-to-protect-cocos-island/80650/?fbclid=IwAR3x6YLcOzaH_eWEiZQJWxnQhFksm6blvP9a-ayMICFmyCY0vnu_gqdQLdw

As part of a campaign to protect the Cocos Island UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society partnered with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment to collect and transport 34 tons of marine pollution, illegal shark finning long lines, and other confiscated fishing gear, which had been accumulating on the remote volcanic island of Cocos for over 25 years.

For a one-time project, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society removed over 1700 miles (2800 kilometers) of nylon monofilament fishing line from Cocos Island and shipped it to Aquafil to be transformed into ECONYL® regenerated nylon, which is used for carpet flooring and fashion items.

Island Del Coco National Park is home to many marine ecosystems that provide universal importance. The Costa Rican thermal dome off the coast of the Cocos Island gives 7% of biodiversity to the world. Thanks to this one-time collaboration, harmful marine debris was recovered from the ocean and is set to be transformed into a high performing material that can have a second life in new products.

“It is not just about sending a boat to the island and bring the trash to the mainland, it is to do the whole work,” stated Costa Rica’s Minister of the Environment Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, concluding “this is an achievement we are very proud of, and above all, we are very grateful for the support we received.”

“Plastics are a serious threat to marine ecosystems. Removing illegal nylon fishing gear from such a pristine environment, repurposing the material and ensuring it will not be used to kill sharks again is a big step in protecting sharks and the Tropical Eastern Pacific marine environment, which Cocos Island is part of,” said Captain Paul Watson. Adding, “This is a very important migration route for sharks and Sea Shepherd’s commitment to protect sharks and their habitats is a holistic one, tackling Illegal targeting of sharks by longline and overseeing the proper disposal of the fishing gear, by ensuring a chain of custody from the high seas to the recycling facility.”

ECONYL® nylon is obtained through the regeneration process of nylon waste and reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 80 percent compared with material generated from oil. Aquafil, the Italian company that invented ECONYL®, brings new purpose to waste materials that would otherwise pollute the world’s landfills and oceans.

Source: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society


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If Compassion is a Crime, Captain Paul Watson is Guilty as Sin

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If caring for our fellow beings is a crime, Captain Watson is surely a criminal. 

If altruism is against the law, then he’s guilty as charged. 

If selflessness is an offense, Paul Watson is public enemy number one. 

If the urge to right a wrong is unacceptable, then tens of thousands of kindhearted people should be incarcerated alongside the Captain. 

If having the capacity for compassion is considered criminal in Costa Rica, the wrong people are making the laws. 

If outrage over injustice is a threat to a government, then Archbishop Romero wasn’t a saint, he was a terrorist. 

But if catching sharks by the thousands, hacking off their fins and dropping them back into the ocean to slowly bleed to death is acceptable behavior, there’s something wrong with the system… 

 

Arresting Captain Paul Watson, who has dedicated his entire life to defending the life of our oceans against illegal and destructive acts, calls into question the very notion of justice in today’s world. We need people like Watson to shine the light on the real criminals of the world and expose their crimes against the thousands of voiceless victims of an over-consumptive society.

 

The following is an urgent message from Captain Paul Watson………….

I need your help! I have been under arrest and held in Germany for two months, and there is just one month to go before my impending extradition request may be granted to Costa Rica. A Visual Petition (now through July 20th) and Day of Action on July 20th is being planned to help aid in my release. This is the second day of action that has been planned since my arrest on May 13th. 

If extradited, I could be held in a Costa Rican prison for up to one year before being granted trial. During that time, the $25,000 bounty on my head by the Shark Fin Mafia may be carried out! This is a serious situation and my safety cannot be guaranteed, no matter the assurances I receive from the government of Costa Rica. Second to drugs, the shark fin industry generates the most money on the black market! The poachers who are claiming these bogus charges would love to stop Sea Shepherd and they have millions to lose in illicit profits, but the price our oceans and our future will pay if sharks are driven to extinction will be much greater.

This case is politically motivated, and the German Minister has the power to have me immediately released. Your help is needed to fight the extradition proceedings and secure my release! I urge you to write to the German officials in power and reiterate what InterPol already has — this case is politically motivated and should be dismissed.

Speak out! Write to German officials, join our Visual Petition (and contest), and participate in the Day of Action.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2012/07/09/sos-save-our-skipper-call-to-action-1404