The Costa Rican tuna sector has voiced its opinion on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, which is currently being debated, pointing out that the officials responsible for its approval must take the potential benefits that the tuna industry might bring to the country into account. They also consider it appropriate to use the country's position in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) “to encourage responsible exploitation of tuna resources, by reducing the present size of the tuna fleet.â€
According to economic analysts, national strategy for the use of tuna resources should be focused, in the first place, “on improving the infrastructure and fisheries port facilities,†with Puntarenas as the hub, so as to accommodate the berth of vessels. This would help the reactivation of an area that is currently depressed. They particularly requested, that authorities handle the issue of stringent requirements stakeholders need to comply with in order to add value to their products.
Analysts also deem that companies within the sector should receive help “to upgrade tuna processing capacity,†and to develop “niche products,†such as premium quality tuna for the sashimi market or fresh tuna for various Asian countries.
Tuna stakeholders are demanding clear rules that would allow access to the resource and that encourage the landing of tuna caught in Costa Rican waters.