Puntarenas, Costa Rica — Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) convened a two-day workshop in Costa Rica with co-hosts INCOPESCA (Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture) and FEDENAP (a Costa Rica longliners federation) to begin constructing the pillars for effective electronic monitoring (EM) program design.
EM systems use technology to collect and transmit data at sea directly from a fishing vessel, replacing or enhancing traditional in-person monitoring. This allows for more comprehensive data collection to determine compliance with government regulations and to meet corporate standards, improving seafood transparency and sustainability.
Government representatives from Chile (National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service, SERNAPESCA), Panama (Panama Aquatic Resources Authority, ARAP), and INOCEPSCA, as well as a representative from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) shared lessons learned, challenges, and potential solutions.
Prior to the workshop, fishing industry representatives, governments, EM suppliers, and other stakeholders in this region had never come together to discuss challenges and opportunities for EM piloting and expansion.
SFP recently published a technical report and industry briefing finding that successful EM programming and design must include a collaborative approach involving key stakeholders from the beginning, alignment on key objectives among stakeholders, and data-sharing agreements and traceability to verify market compliance. This framework provides guidance and recommendations for improving EM programming globally.
“SFP has identified that EM program design needs to be improved globally,” says Braddock Spear, SFP global policy director. “Building solid electronic monitoring programs is not quick or easy. But if done correctly from the beginning, the results can be powerful. The great work achieved in Costa Rica through industry-led EM trials and the recent adoption of EM standards by the IATTC is setting the stage for positive momentum.”
For nearly a decade, TNC has worked with an expansive and diverse network of partners to accelerate the global adoption of electronic monitoring on industrial fishing vessels. “By streamlining EM design processes and sharing learnings about how actors throughout the supply chain can deliver durable EM programs at scale, we can collectively improve transparency at sea and guarantee a long-term and sustainable seafood supply,” says Alvaro Teran, Senior Fisheries Advisor with TNC.
Migual Duran, director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Management at INCOPESCA, the institution responsible for governing fishing in Costa Rica, noted that the workshop was valuable for learning about EM program design. “The workshop demonstrated how EM can improve our fisheries management, particularly in research and catch control, ensuring we operate sustainably,” Duran said. “The contributions of IATTC and SERNAPESCA were eye-opening in understanding institutions already advancing with EM.”
“The EM workshop was quite interesting for the longline sector. It helped us understand the challenges of implementing EM, and how this technology can help benefit Costa Rica and the fishing sector,” said Mauricio González, executive director of FEDENAP, a Costa Rica longliners federation. “It is of utmost importance that the longline sector implements EM on a larger scale to achieve the benefits of this technology.”
In Costa Rica, using EM in longline fisheries targeting yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, and swordfish will improve data collection on the bycatch of protected species and give insights into social conditions for fishing crews. The next steps include TNC-led pilot projects focused on traceability and meeting IATTC standards, raising awareness within buyer markets about EM efforts in Central America, and convening two additional workshops in 2025 to design expanded EM programs in Costa Rica and Panama.
The publications and workshop were made possible by the United States Agency for International Development under the Countering Nature Crime partnership led by the World Resources Institute.
About Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Founded in 2006, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is a marine conservation organization working toward a world where the oceans are healthy, all seafood is produced sustainably, and everyone has access to sustainable seafood. We leverage the power of seafood buyers and retailers in every part of the seafood supply chain to rebuild depleted fish stocks, reduce the environmental impacts of fishing and fish farming, address social issues in fishing, and advance economic opportunities for fishers and their communities. Our Supply Chain Roundtables (SRs) allow seafood suppliers to work together in a pre-competitive environment to promote and support improvements in fishery and aquaculture practices, management, and policy. Visit us at www.sustainablefish.org and follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
