Protects wild flora and fauna, regulates hunting and captivity, and lists endangered species. Updated by Ley 9106 to ban most sport hunting.
Protege flora y fauna silvestres, regula caza y cautiverio, y enlista especies en peligro. Actualizada por la Ley 9106 que prohíbe la mayoría de la caza deportiva.
148 documents in this topic.
Ley 107642025
Ley para la gestión de artes de pesca abandonadas, perdidas y descartadas
This law establishes a comprehensive framework to reduce, mitigate, and prevent the impacts of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear in Costa Rican marine waters and navigable rivers. It creates the National Fishing Alert and Registry System and the Registry of Recovered Fishing Gear and Marine Species Incidents, under INCOPESCA's responsibility. It…
Ley 107882025
Adición de rescate de vida silvestre a funciones del Cuerpo de Bomberos
This law adds a subsection e) to Article 5 of Law 8228, the Law of the Costa Rican Fire Department, to include the management of emergencies involving wildlife among its functions. The Fire Department, advised by the relevant specialized entity (such as SINAC), must develop protocols for controlling incidents with wild animals. Their intervention is…
Ley 104572024
Ley del Colibrí como Símbolo Nacional
Law No. 10457 designates two hummingbird species —Amazilia boucardi and Microchera cupreiceps— as national symbols of Costa Rican wildlife. The primary purpose is to raise the profile of these endemic birds and reinforce the State's commitment to protecting their natural habitats. The law tasks MINAE with ensuring the conservation of hummingbird…
Ley 94682017
Reforma del Timbre de Vida Silvestre
This law reforms Article 120 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317) to modify the wildlife stamp. It sets the stamp value at 0.25% of a base salary, as defined in Law No. 7337. The stamp will be issued by the Central Bank of Costa Rica, and the proceeds will be deposited into the Wildlife Fund to support the law's objectives. The reform specifies that…
Ley 93482016
Ley del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
This law establishes a special legal framework for the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, originally created in 1983. It governs land use, provides legal certainty to current occupants through a system of concessions and use permits, and promotes the conservation of sea turtles and associated ecosystems. It defines categories of uses compatible, potentially…
Ley 92642014
Declaratoria del Manatí como símbolo nacional de la fauna marina
Law 9264 declares the manatee (Trichechus manatus) as a national symbol of Costa Rica's marine fauna and as a symbol of the hope and interest of Costa Rican children in the protection of natural resources. The law assigns the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) the responsibility to enforce all laws and international agreements related to the…
Ley 90222012
Reforma del artículo 11 de la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
This 2012 law amended the first paragraph of Article 11 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317) to redistribute the resources of the Wildlife Fund. Previously, the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) administered the entire fund. The amendment established that SINAC will administer 75% of the resources, while the remaining 25% will be…
Ley 91062012
Ley 9106 — Reforma a la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
Law 9106 introduces substantial reforms and additions to the Wildlife Conservation Law (Law 7317). It establishes an updated framework for the protection, management, and sustainable use of wildlife, defining key concepts, prohibiting sport hunting, and regulating activities such as collection, extraction, captive possession, trade, and exhibition. It…
Ley 86892008
Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre — Reforma Penal
This law amends Chapters XI and XII of the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317) to criminalize offenses and contraventions against wild flora and fauna, imposing prison sentences and fines calculated in base salaries. It introduces offenses such as illegal hunting, fishing, trade, importation, and exportation, as well as penalties for damage to wetlands,…
Ley 83252002
Ley de Protección de las Tortugas Marinas
This law declares scientific research on marine turtles and their habitat to be of public interest, requiring public institutions to share data with MINAE. It mandates the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on shrimp trawlers, with fines and license revocations for non-compliance. Key nesting beaches (Ostional, Nancite, Playa Grande, Tivives, Gandoca,…
Ley 80652001
Ley de Creación del Parque Marino del Pacífico
Law 8065 establishes the Pacific Marine Park as a decentralized body of MINAE with instrumental legal personality, aiming to promote sustainable human development, education, research, and conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity along the Pacific coast. It transfers several properties from INCOFER, INCOP, and RECOPE in Puntarenas to the State for…
Ley 81332001
Ley de Creación de la Junta Directiva del Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
This law amends Law No. 5100 to modify the funding source of Manuel Antonio National Park through an entrance fee, allocating 50% of those revenues to a trust fund to pay for expropriated lands within the park and later to acquire lands in protected areas of the Aguirre-Parrita and Los Santos subregions, considered strategic biological corridors. It…
Ley 77741998
Ley de Segregación de Terrenos del Refugio de Vida Silvestre de la Frontera Norte
This law segregates a specific area from the Northern Border Wildlife Refuge, located along the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, at the coordinates of the Sapoá River. The segregated lands are designated for customs, immigration, and trade purposes. The respective municipality is tasked with administering this zone, with the authority to grant…
Ley 75751996
Ley Forestal
The Forestry Law (No. 7575) establishes the legal framework for the conservation, protection and management of natural forests and the promotion of forest resources in Costa Rica. It defines key concepts such as forest, forest plantation, forest ecosystem and environmental services. It declares the State's essential function to ensure the adequate and…
Ley 75541995
Ley Orgánica del Ambiente
The Organic Environmental Law No. 7554 establishes the fundamental legal framework for the protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources in Costa Rica. Enacted in 1995, this law defines the guiding principles of national environmental law, including the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, liability for…
Ley 73171992
Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
This law establishes the regulatory framework for the conservation, management, and sustainable use of wildlife in Costa Rica. It defines the concept of wildlife, declares wild fauna as public domain and wild flora of public interest. It regulates activities such as hunting, collection, extraction, possession, trade, import, and export of wild species,…
Ley 56051974
Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres
This law fully ratifies the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), signed in Washington in 1973. The Convention establishes a global framework for regulating cross‑border trade in wild species specimens to ensure that such trade does not threaten their survival. It creates a system of permits and…
Ley 3763-11966
Convención para la Protección de la Flora, Fauna y Bellezas Escénicas Naturales
The Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere, adopted in 1940, is an international treaty that establishes categories of protected areas (national parks, national reserves, natural monuments, and virgin region reserves) and commitments to conserve the hemisphere's flora, fauna, and outstanding landscapes.…
Decreto 451972025
Reforma a la ayuda temporal por pobreza coyuntural en el sector pesquero por vedas
This Executive Decree No. 45197-MAG-MDHIS-SP partially reforms Executive Decree No. 36043-MAG-SP-MS, which establishes permanent regulations for the implementation of temporary economic assistance for fishers and their helpers affected by fishery closures (vedas). The reform amends articles 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 13, and repeals original articles 5 and 12.…
Decreto 453612025
Reforma Prohibición de captura, retención, transbordo, descarga, almacenamiento, tránsito y comercialización de productos de tiburones martillo
Executive Decree No. 45361 MAG-MINAE amends Decree No. 43900 to include a ban on the transit of hammerhead shark (Sphyrnidae) products and by-products in national territory. The amendment addresses a legal gap: while previous regulations banned capture, retention, transshipment, discharge, storage and trade, they did not cover transit, potentially…
Decreto 443292023
Oficialización de la Guía para la Prevención y Mitigación de la Electrocución de Fauna Silvestre por Tendidos Eléctricos
This executive decree officially adopts the Guide for the Prevention and Mitigation of Wildlife Electrocution by Power Lines in Costa Rica as a mandatory technical instrument for all electricity generation, transmission, and distribution companies. It creates the 'Electrificación Sostenible' (GES) working group to continuously improve mitigation measures,…
Decreto 434772022
Declaración de Santuario Natural de Tiburones al Parque Nacional Isla del Coco
This executive decree designates the marine protected area of Cocos Island National Park as a 'Natural Shark Sanctuary' to strengthen protection for 15 shark species, many of which are threatened or critically endangered per IUCN and CITES. It is based on state sovereignty over 200 nautical miles, the constitutional right to a healthy environment, the…
Decreto 422002020
Reforma a la Regulación de Autoridades CITES
This Executive Decree No. 42200-MINAE reforms Decree No. 39489-MINAE of 2015 regulating the Administrative Authority and Scientific Authorities under CITES in Costa Rica. It modifies the functions of the Administrative Authority (SINAC), including the verification of captive breeding and artificial reproduction. It redesigns the composition of the Council…
Decreto 410562018
Santuario del Tiburón Martillo Golfo Dulce
This decree establishes a 15,430.9-hectare natural sanctuary in Golfo Dulce to protect the hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), a species listed as Endangered by the IUCN. It prohibits fishing, capture, transport, and commercialization of hammerhead sharks within the sanctuary, which includes protected wild areas, river mouths, estuaries, mangroves, and…
Decreto 411342018
Reglamento a la Ley del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
Executive Decree No. 41134-MINAE regulates Law No. 9348, which creates a special legal regime for the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. It establishes technical standards, administrative procedures, and requirements for granting land-use permits and concessions on state lands and public entities, as well as certificates of land-use compliance and…
Decreto 403792017
Reforma de Autoridades CITES — Especies Pesqueras y Acuícolas
This decree reforms the designation of the CITES administrative and scientific authorities in Costa Rica with respect to fishery and aquaculture species of interest. To resolve a conflict of competences between SINAC and INCOPESCA and to avoid conflicts of interest, the functions are separated: INCOPESCA serves as the Scientific Authority, while the…
Decreto 405482017
Reglamento a la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre N° 7317
Executive Decree No. 40548-MINAE establishes the detailed regulation to implement the Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7317, significantly reformed by Law 9106 of 2012 driven by popular initiative. The regulation defines procedures and requirements for the conservation, management, and sustainable use of continental and insular wildlife, both in situ and ex…
Decreto 406362017
Designación del SENASA como Autoridad Administrativa CITES para especies pesqueras y acuícolas
This executive decree designates the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) as the CITES Administrative Authority, replacing the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, exclusively for fishery or aquaculture species of interest listed in Appendices I, II, and III of the CITES Convention. The designation is based on Executive Decree No. 40379-MINAE-MAG and…
Decreto 408402017
Parámetros de valoración ambiental del Plan General de Manejo del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
This executive decree sets forth the technical parameters that the General Management Plan for the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge must meet to obtain environmental viability from SETENA, in compliance with Transitory Provision II of Law No. 9348. It details the required documentation, including a diagnosis of the protected area's environmental condition…
Decreto 395192016
Reconocimiento de los modelos de gobernanza en áreas silvestres protegidas
Executive Decree No. 39519-MINAE, signed in Cahuita in 2016, formally recognizes and defines four governance models for Costa Rica's protected wild areas: governmental, shared, private, and by indigenous peoples and local communities. It is grounded in the Political Constitution, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Organic Environmental Law, the…
Decreto 401492016
Día Nacional del Manatí
Executive Decree No. 40149-MINAE declares September 24 of each year as National Manatee Day (Trichechus manatus) to promote national awareness of the protection of this species and its habitat. Issued by the President and the Minister of Environment and Energy, it is based on the Biodiversity Law, the Organic Environmental Law, and Law No. 9264, which…
Decreto 390932015
Reforma del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Cipanci
Executive Decree No. 39093-MINAE comprehensively reforms Decree No. 29398 that established the Cipanci National Wildlife Refuge. The reform expands the refuge boundaries to incorporate wetland and mangrove ecosystems not originally included, in order to guarantee long-term ecological processes against threats such as fires, erosion, and illegal logging.…
Decreto 392992015
Adhesión al Acuerdo sobre Medidas del Estado Rector del Puerto (MERP)
This decree formalizes Costa Rica's accession to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA), adopted in Rome on November 22, 2009. The Legislative Assembly approved the accession through Law 9321 of August 25, 2015, published in La Gaceta Digital on October 8, 2015. The instrument…
Decreto 394112015
Reglamento para el Aprovechamiento Racional de los Recursos Acuáticos en Humedales
This executive decree establishes the framework for the rational use of aquatic resources in mangroves and other wetlands, as part of the General Management Plans for Protected Wild Areas. It provides that the use of mollusks, crustaceans, and polychaetes may only be carried out by legally constituted local associations and cooperatives, once joint…
Decreto 394892015
Regulación de la Autoridad Administrativa y Autoridades Científicas CITES
This executive decree, signed by the President and the Minister of Environment and Energy, regulates the implementation of the CITES Convention in Costa Rica. It designates the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) as the Administrative Authority, responsible for granting import, export, and re-export permits for threatened species of flora and…
Decreto 394792015
Derogatoria del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Privado Boracayán
Executive Decree No. 39479-MINAE repeals Decree No. 30883, which had declared the Boracayán Private Wildlife Refuge in the cantons of Pérez Zeledón and Osa. The repeal is based on a SINAC resolution that denied the renewal request submitted by the owner, BORACAYAN del Sur S.A., and ordered the closure of the refuge. The grounds were that four of the…
Decreto 394902015
Verificación in situ de especímenes CITES en puntos de entrada y salida
The decree establishes the procedure for officials of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) and the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) to verify, at points of entry and exit, the documents and, when appropriate, physically, the wild flora and fauna specimens, their products and derivatives covered by CITES export, import, re-export or transit permits.…
Decreto 385602014
Crea el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Longo Mai categoría privada
This executive decree creates the Longo Mai National Wildlife Refuge, a private-category refuge, over 452 hectares owned by ACE Longo Mai, Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, in Buenos Aires de Puntarenas. The declaration responds to a voluntary application by the landowner under Article 82 of the Wildlife Conservation Law, aiming to protect tropical wet…
Decreto 378272013
Día Nacional del Felino Silvestre
Executive Decree No. 37827-MINAE, issued by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Environment and Energy, declares July 4 of each year as the "National Wild Feline Day". The norm is based on the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317), the Biodiversity Law (No. 7788), and the reform to the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 9106). The recitals…
Decreto 379192013
Ratificación de la Enmienda al Artículo XXI de CITES
This executive decree formalizes Costa Rica's ratification of the Amendment to Article XXI of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), adopted in Gaborone, Botswana, on April 30, 1983. The amendment was previously approved by the Legislative Assembly through Law No. 9154 of July 3, 2013. The decree,…
Decreto 379002013
Creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Lapa Verde, categoría Privada
This executive decree establishes the Lapa Verde National Wildlife Refuge, private category, on a 509.5-hectare property in Sarapiquí, Heredia. The land, owned by Ecovida Inmobiliaria S.A., contains tropical wet forest and wetlands, hosting rich biodiversity including species classified as vulnerable or critically endangered, such as Minquartia guianensis,…
Decreto 379932013
Creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Riu
This Executive Decree creates the Riu National Wildlife Refuge, private category, on 199.7 hectares of Finca Riu, owned by SF Costa Rica Hotelera de Guanacaste S.A., in Sardinal, Carrillo, Guanacaste. The declaration responds to the landowner's voluntary application to place the property under this protection regime for ten years, automatically renewable.…
Decreto 378492013
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Río General
Executive Decree No. 37849-MINAET establishes the Río General National Wildlife Refuge as a private category over parts of four properties owned by Corporación de Desarrollo Agrícola del Monte (PINDECO-DEL MONTE) in Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, covering a total of 554 hectares. The voluntary submission to the private refuge regime for a renewable ten-year…
Decreto 380272013
Tallas de primera madurez para tiburones y rayas
This Executive Decree 38027-MAG establishes first-maturity sizes (TPM) for the capture and marketing of eight shark species, with the goal of ensuring that specimens reproduce at least once before being caught. The regulation sets a specific TPM for each species (measured as total length, dorsal-precordal length, or interdorsal length) and allows tolerance…
Decreto 373542012
Prohibición de aleteo de tiburones y regulación de aletas
This executive decree bans shark finning in Costa Rican jurisdictional waters and prohibits importing shark fins without certification that they were landed naturally attached to the body. It also forbids transporting, transshipping, or possessing fins aboard a vessel. The decree mandates that sharks be landed with all fins naturally attached. INCOPESCA…
Decreto 365152011
Regulaciones para la caza y pesca fuera y dentro de áreas protegidas
This executive decree establishes regulations for small and big game hunting outside protected wild areas, as well as for sport fishing in certain protected areas of Costa Rica. It prohibits big and small game hunting, hunting tournaments, and fishing in national parks, biological reserves, natural monuments, forest reserves, protective zones, indigenous…
Decreto 366812011
Crea Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Tapiria
Executive Decree No. 36681-MINAET establishes the Tapiria National Wildlife Refuge, under state category, on a 129-hectare state-owned property in Sarapiquí, Heredia. The land is covered by tropical wet forest and wetlands and hosts significant biodiversity: 142 tree species (two vulnerable, one critically endangered), 22 non-flying mammal species,…
Decreto 345072008
Oficialización del Humedal Laguna Pochotal
This executive decree formalizes the cartographic survey of the sector called Pochotal Lagoon Wetland, carried out by the National Geographic Institute on December 17, 2002, identifying existing natural and artificial channels. The delimitation is declared legally binding for all purposes, providing legal certainty to administrative and judicial operators.…
Decreto 349462008
Reglamento de Zonificación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo
This executive decree establishes the official zoning for the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, a mixed-category protected area aiming to balance conservation with sustainable use. It defines fifteen zones —nine terrestrial and six marine-coastal— and details for each the recommended uses, uses allowed under conditions, and prohibited…
Decreto 324052005
Creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Maquenque
This executive decree establishes the Maquenque Mixed National Wildlife Refuge in the northern border area of Costa Rica, between the mouths of the San Carlos and Sarapiquí rivers. It declares its importance for the conservation of threatened species such as the great green macaw, jaguar, and manatee, and its role as a core area of the Binational…
Decreto 326332005
Reglamento a la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre para Pesca y Refugios Nacionales de Vida Silvestre
This executive decree, originally issued as the Regulation to the Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7317, establishes the regulatory provisions for sport and subsistence fishing, as well as for the administration of National Wildlife Refuges. The current text reflects numerous reforms, mainly through Executive Decree No. 40548 of 2017, which repealed most of…
Decreto 292772001
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Isla San Lucas
The decree establishes the state-owned Isla San Lucas National Wildlife Refuge, protecting the island's 462 terrestrial hectares and the surrounding marine-coastal area up to a depth of 6 meters. This protection addresses the accelerated loss of wetland ecosystems in the Gulf of Nicoya and the need to safeguard biodiversity, fishery resources, and the…
Decreto 290192000
Manejo Participativo de Recursos Naturales en Gandoca
Executive Decree 29019-MINAE establishes the Regulation for Participatory Management of Natural Resources in the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, Gandoca sector. Its objective is to promote the integrated and sustainable management of natural resources on Gandoca beach and lagoon, with the active participation of civil society and local…
Decreto 272121998
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Privado Jaguarundi
Executive Decree 27212-MINAE declares several properties located in Los Altos del Roble, San Rafael de Heredia, as the Jaguarundi National Wildlife Refuge under private ownership. The properties, belonging to two corporations, are forested lands situated within the Cordillera Volcánica Central Forest Reserve and near Braulio Carrillo National Park. The…
Decreto 257001996
Veda total de aprovechamiento de árboles en peligro de extinción
This executive decree establishes a total and indefinite ban on the harvesting of seventeen timber tree species that are in danger of extinction in Costa Rica. The measure is based on scientific studies demonstrating the threat to these species, which are located outside protected wild areas, and seeks to ensure their protection and conservation. The…
Decreto 256631996
Restricción a la corta o aprovechamiento del árbol de almendro
This Executive Decree establishes a restriction on cutting or harvesting the almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis) in a specific zone of northern Costa Rica, aimed at protecting the great green macaw (Ara ambigua), an endangered species that relies on this tree for nesting and feeding. The decree supplements and reiterates the content of Decree 25167-MINAE…
Decreto 246381995
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Rancho La Merced
Executive Decree No. 24638-MIRENEM declares the Mixed National Wildlife Refuge 'Rancho La Merced', located in Cortés district, Osa canton, Puntarenas. The area comprises 341 hectares owned by Rancho La Merced S.A., containing primary and secondary forests and rich biodiversity of tree species, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The declaration…
Decreto 230691994
Acceso Restringido Refugio Nacional Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo para Protección de Tortugas Marinas
Executive Decree No. 23069-MIRENEM, issued in 1994, declared restricted access to Gandoca Beach within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge during the nesting season of sea turtles (leatherback, green, hawksbill and loggerhead) from March 1 to October 31 each year. It provided that turtle-watching must be done with an authorized guide, in groups…
Decreto 232591994
Reforma Refugio Nacional Vida Silvestre Limoncito
This executive decree amends Decree No. 23121-MIRENEM, which originally created the Limoncito National Wildlife Refuge. The reform changes the refuge's property category from state-owned to mixed, meaning it can now include privately owned lands within its boundaries, while retaining state-owned areas. The geographical limits of the refuge remain…
Decreto 163731985
Crea Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito
This executive decree establishes the Golfito National Wildlife Refuge in Puntarenas Province to protect tropical rainforests and native fauna, including endangered species. It is based on the Wildlife Conservation Law No. 6919 and recognizes the area's environmental importance for water regulation and erosion prevention due to steep slopes. The decree…
Res. 06130-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de construir pasos de fauna en Ruta 32
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance filing by the original petitioner against the National Roads Council (CONAVI). In 2021, the Chamber had ordered CONAVI to build and enable wildlife crossings on National Route 32 and to plan for future sections. After multiple extensions and reiterations, the petitioner claims that the institution has…
Res. 23951-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Deber del SINAC de resolver denuncias sobre fauna silvestre en zona urbana
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition filed by residents of Heredia Centro against SINAC for failing to take effective action regarding a raccoon infestation in a nearby vacant apartment that was causing severe health issues to the petitioner. Although SINAC conducted an inspection and issued management recommendations (property…
Res. 39367-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional ordena impedir uso de FADs anclados en pesca deportiva y turística
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against INCOPESCA, the National Coast Guard Service, and the Maritime-Port Division of MOPT, for allegedly failing to regulate and control the use of fish aggregating devices anchored to the seabed (FADs or “plantados”) in sport and tourist fishing. Although official inspections did not locate the devices,…
Res. 06377-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación administrativa en permiso de zoo criadero de lapas rojas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by MACAW CONSERVATION SOCIEDAD CIVIL against the Ministry of Environment and Energy for failing to issue a final decision on an application to establish a non-commercial scarlet macaw (Ara macao) breeding facility. The petition was submitted on June 21, 2023, to the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA). The…
Res. 20774-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo ambiental sobre decomiso de fauna en zoológico
The Constitutional Court dismissed the amparo action filed by a foundation representative against SINAC and ACOSA for revoking a state natural heritage use permit, denying a sanctuary‑type zoo permit, and seizing wildlife. The petitioner alleged a violation of the right to a healthy environment under Article 50 of the Constitution, arguing that the…
Res. 22606-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Anulación de la Ley 9348 del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional por falta de estudios técnicos previos
The Constitutional Chamber annuls in its entirety Law No. 9348 'Ostional Wildlife Refuge' (2016) and, by connection, its executive decree regulations. The ruling finds that the law changed the refuge's nature from state-owned to mixed and authorized land uses beyond research, protection, training, and ecotourism —including small-scale agriculture,…
Res. 01189-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Obligación de CONAVI de construir pasos de fauna en Ruta 32
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against CONAVI, SETENA, and AyA for failure to build wildlife crossings in the expansion project of National Route 32. The plaintiff argued that despite being an environmental commitment under the environmental viability permit granted by SETENA in 2016, the crossings had not been built. CONAVI argued…
Res. 12521-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para pasos de fauna en Ruta 32
The Constitutional Chamber extends the deadline granted to CONAVI for constructing and enabling wildlife crossings on National Route 32, originally ordered in judgment 2021-001189. The court acknowledges that, despite technical progress and mitigation measures (such as signage placement), full construction has not been completed within the original…
Res. 00673-2019 Sala Constitucional2019 · Sala Constitucional
Segregación del Refugio Corredor Fronterizo requiere estudios técnicos y compensación
The Constitutional Chamber upholds an unconstitutionality action against Law 8803 and its Regulation, which segregated about 13 hectares of the Border Corridor National Wildlife Refuge for the Las Tablillas Border Post. The Chamber finds that, although the reduction was done by law, it lacked sufficient technical studies justifying the measure and did not…
Res. 12745-2019 Sala Constitucional2019 · Sala Constitucional
Reducción del Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo por Ley 9223
The Constitutional Chamber partially struck down Law No. 9223 'Recognition of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the South Caribbean,' which redefined the boundaries of the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The Chamber found that while the law aimed to correct a historical error and recognize community rights, the removal of approximately 188…
Res. 13347-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de combustible a pesquero por pesca ilegal en refugio de vida silvestre
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by the owner of the fishing vessel 'Monarca' against INCOPESCA after the agency temporarily suspended (for three months) the competitive-price fuel benefit. The suspension followed the vessel being caught conducting trawl fishing inside the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, a protected area. The petitioner…
Res. 16535-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de vigilancia en zona de desove de tortugas marinas en Tortuguero
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTo) of SINAC for an alleged failure to monitor the beach between Jalova Lagoon and the Parismina River mouth, a nesting site for leatherback, hawksbill, olive ridley, and green sea turtles, all CITES I endangered species. Petitioners reported a July 25, 2017…
Res. 01170-2014 Sala Constitucional2014 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad de sancionar daño a humedales no declarados
The Constitutional Chamber rejected on the merits a constitutional challenge against Article 98 of the Wildlife Conservation Law, which punishes with one to three years' imprisonment anyone who drains, dries, fills, or eliminates wetlands without SINAC authorization, whether declared or not. The plaintiff argued that the phrase 'whether declared or not'…
Res. 06922-2010 Sala Constitucional2010 · Sala Constitucional
Minería metálica a cielo abierto y protección del ambiente en Crucitas
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Crucitas mining project, which involved open-pit gold mining with cyanide leaching. The majority partially granted the appeal solely because the environmental impact study was approved without the prior opinion of the National Service for Groundwater, Irrigation, and Drainage (SENARA),…
Res. 00949-2009 Sala Constitucional2009 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo por deterioro y delimitación del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen alleging general deterioration of Las Baulas National Marine Park, including unfinished expropriations, mangrove pollution, removal of boundary markers, illegal constructions, and lack of services. The Court recalled that expropriations and environmental viability had already been addressed…
Res. 13426-2008 Sala Constitucional2008 · Sala Constitucional
Prohibición de aprovechamiento del almendro amarillo para proteger la lapa verde
The Constitutional Chamber annuls an administrative resolution from the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area that allowed the harvesting of naturally fallen yellow almond wood. The court finds that the resolution disregards the vital dependency of the great green macaw —an endangered species— on the yellow almond tree, its habitat and main food source.…
Res. 17975-2006 Sala Constitucional2006 · Sala Constitucional
Principio precautorio y suspensión del Decreto de Cacería
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a citizen whose application for a big-game hunting license for the 2006–2007 period was denied. The petitioner argued that the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) had violated the principle of legality and its regulatory duty by failing to issue the corresponding Hunting Decree, which is…
Res. 08928-2004 Sala Constitucional2004 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Isla San Lucas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the unconstitutionality action against Executive Decree 29277-MINAE, which declared San Lucas Island a National Wildlife Refuge and the Puntarenas estuary a wetland. The Municipality of Puntarenas, represented by its mayor, alleged that the decree violated municipal autonomy and the principle of normative hierarchy by…
Res. 03480-2003 Sala Constitucional2003 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad del Plan Regulador de Playa Platanares frente al Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Preciosa-Platanares
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a claim of unconstitutionality against the Playa Platanares Coastal Tourism Regulatory Plan, approved by the Municipality of Golfito in 1999. The claimant argues that the plan spatially overlaps with the Preciosa-Platanares National Wildlife Refuge, created by executive decree, and that this overlap amounts to an illegal…
Res. 02486-2002 Sala Constitucional2002 · Sala Constitucional
Anulación parcial del Decreto 25663-MINAE por insuficiente protección del hábitat de la lapa verde
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for violating the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment protected by Article 50 of the Constitution. The court found that the great green macaw (Ara ambigua) is an endangered species and that its survival depends on the conservation…
Res. 09458-2001 Sala Constitucional2001 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo sin indemnización en parque nacional no viola derecho de propiedad
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for the detention and seizure of tools of two individuals who were cutting vegetation and opening a trail inside Arenal Volcano National Park. The petitioners claimed legitimate possession of the land and sought compensation for eviction. The…
Res. 01250-1999 Sala Constitucional1999 · Sala Constitucional
Inconstitucionalidad del decreto de caza de tortuga verde
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a claim of unconstitutionality filed by several environmental organizations against Executive Decree 14524-A, which authorized the commercial capture of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Costa Rica's Caribbean waters. After considering the arguments of the petitioners, reports from INCOPESCA and the Attorney General's…
Res. 00677-2026 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2026 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Improcedencia de anular permisos de manejo de fauna silvestre ya vencidos
The Administrative Court dismisses the lawsuit filed by biologist Rodolfo Vargas Leitón, owner of the Herpetological Refuge of Costa Rica, who sought to annul two SINAC resolutions (ACC-OSJ-VS-013-R-ZOO-19 and ACC-OSJ-VS-004-R-ZOO-2020) that modified his commercial zoo operating permit and ordered him to cease wildlife rescue and reproduction activities,…
Res. 03064-2025 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2025 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Improcedencia de permisos para ecoturismo en zona pública de refugio de vida silvestre
The Administrative-Contentious Court dismisses the claim filed by Turismo Curú S.A. against SINAC and the State. The company conducted ecotourism activities, including the use of vehicles and boats, on the public beach zone of the Curú National Wildlife Refuge without the MINAE authorization required by Article 18 of the Forestry Law and Article 39 of the…
Res. 04281-2024 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2024 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Indígena no obtiene permiso para zoológico comercial en territorio indígena
The Administrative Court denied Orlando Rivera Beita's lawsuit seeking annulment of the administrative procedure that rejected his operating permit for the 'Zoológico del Sur' in the Ujarrás Indigenous Territory and the seizure of wild and exotic animals. The Court found that Executive Decree 40548-MINAE is not illegal nor does it violate indigenous…
Res. 04460-2024 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2024 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Denegatoria de medida cautelar para traslado de cebras de planicie
The resolution analyzes and denies the interim measure requested by Finca Rosita S.R.L. to suspend SINAC's administrative acts that prevent the transfer of female zebras (Equus quagga) from a zoo in Guanacaste to its breeding center in Alajuela, arguing that the species is endangered and that the refusal affects its reproduction. The judge evaluates the…
Res. 00912-2023 Sala Primera de la Corte2023 · Sala Primera de la Corte
Protección del tiburón martillo como especie en peligro de extinción y nulidad de su declaratoria de interés pesquero
The First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice annuls administrative act AJDIP/290-2017 issued by INCOPESCA, which had declared the three hammerhead shark species (Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna mokarran, and Sphyrna zygaena) to be of fishing and commercial interest. The Chamber finds the act null due to defects in its subjective element (INCOPESCA lacked…
Res. 00397-2023 Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda2023 · Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda
Suspensión de orden de captura de serpientes Plato Negro y remoción de radiotransmisores
The Contentious-Administrative and Civil Treasury Appeals Tribunal hears an appeal filed by César Luis Barrio Amorós and his attorneys against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and the State, within a precautionary measure proceeding. The court upholds the lower court's decision denying the requested precautionary measure, which sought to…
Res. 01754-2021 Sala Primera de la Corte2021 · Sala Primera de la Corte
Responsabilidad estatal por traslado de león Kivú y condiciones de bienestar animal
The First Chamber examines the cassation appeal filed by FUNDAZOO against the judgment that dismissed its claim for annulment of administrative acts and indemnification against the State, arising from the transfer of the lion Kivú from the Simón Bolívar Zoo to Zooave. The Administrative Court had upheld order DM-807-2016 issued by MINAE, based on a joint…
Res. 00322-2020 Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda2020 · Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda
Electrocución de fauna silvestre por tendidos eléctricos y falta de precisión en medida cautelar
The Contentious-Administrative Appeals Court upholds the denial of a precautionary measure filed by an individual against Coopeguanacaste R.L., which sought the immediate installation of protective devices on the electricity grid to prevent wildlife electrocution. The court finds the request generic and imprecise, failing to specify devices,…
Res. 00305-2012 Tribunal Agrario2012 · Tribunal Agrario
Caducidad en interdictos de posesión en zona de refugio de vida silvestre
The Agrarian Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José overturned the lower court ruling and dismissed as time-barred the possession interdict action filed by a corporation against a group of squatters in the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge. The corporation claimed that the defendants invaded its property in October 2009, but witness…
Res. 00307-2011 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2011 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Casación rechazada sobre tráfico de huevos de tortuga baula
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José denies the cassation appeal filed by the defense of a defendant convicted for violating the Wildlife Conservation Law, specifically for trafficking leatherback turtle eggs. The defense argued that irreconcilable contradictions among the testimonies of the arresting officers prevented a conviction. The Court reviewed…
Res. 00241-2011 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección V2011 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección V
Improcedencia de permiso de uso de suelo en Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Administrative Court (Section V), through judgment No. 00241-2011, dismissed a lawsuit brought by an individual against the State and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), which sought a land-use permit for a dwelling within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The plaintiff had purchased possessory rights to a lot in the urban…
Res. 00030-2001 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección I2001 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección I
Suspensión de servidumbre eléctrica en refugio de vida silvestre
The Administrative Court suspends the ICE agreement that established an easement for the Tarbaca-Lindora transmission line over the Gingold Family Private Wildlife Refuge. The court finds that executing the agreement would cause serious or irreparable harm to endangered species, applying the precautionary principle. It rejects arguments that the challenge…
Acuerdo 0282026
Veda de sardina Opisthonema spp. en el Golfo de Nicoya para 2026
INCOPESCA Agreement AJDIP/028-2026 establishes a fishing closure for Opisthonema spp. sardines in the Gulf of Nicoya from March 1 to June 1, 2026, using any type of net. The closed area is defined by coordinates outlining a marine polygon. However, an exception allows fishing once a week for 12 daytime hours to supply bait to the commercial fleet, within a…
Acuerdo 1012026
Veda total de pesca en el Golfo de Nicoya 2026
This regulation establishes a total ban on commercial and sport fishing in the Gulf of Nicoya from May 1 to July 31, 2026, to protect species such as croakers and sardines during their reproductive period. Between June 1 and July 31, semi-industrial sardine vessels are allowed to enter a delimited area solely to catch sardines for bait, provided that…
Acuerdo 0902026
Prohibición de dispositivos agregadores de peces (FADs) en Costa Rica
INCOPESCA Board Agreement No. 090-2026, in compliance with a ruling by the Constitutional Chamber, establishes prohibitions concerning fish aggregating devices (FADs or 'plantados') in Costa Rican jurisdictional waters. The regulation prohibits the use of such devices as fishing aids, their installation in the marine environment, the promotion or…
Acuerdo 0942024
Veda total de pesca en el Golfo de Nicoya, mayo a julio 2024
INCOPESCA Agreement AJDIP/094-2024 establishes a total fishing ban in a delimited area of the Gulf of Nicoya from May 1st to July 31st, 2024, with specific exceptions and conditions. The measure is based on technical criteria from the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and studies from the Research Department, including findings on low…
Acuerdo 00492020
Veda para la pesca semi-industrial sardinera bolichera 2020
This agreement by the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) establishes a closed season for semi-industrial sardine purse-seine fishing during the reproductive period to protect the sustainability of the resource. The ban applies from April 2 to May 31, 2020, in a defined area of the Gulf of Nicoya. Limited access is allowed in May…
Acuerdo 2352017
Acuerdo INCOPESCA sobre actuación como Autoridad Científica CITES
Agreement AJDIP/235-2017 of the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) establishes the basic regulations that this institution must follow as the CITES Scientific Authority for fishery and aquaculture species of commercial interest listed in Appendices I, II, and III. Issued in compliance with Executive…
Acuerdo 2882017
Reforma de Tallas Legales de Primera Captura para Peces
This agreement amends article 5 of Agreement AJDIP-102-17 to expand the scope of legal first-capture size controls on fishing vessels. Originally, inspection was limited to product in freezers or storage holds. The reform adds product on deck, making control more effective. The change is based on INCOPESCA studies showing low juvenile catch in deeper…
Acuerdo 3662017
Veda permanente para el pez sierra
Agreement 366 of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) establishes a permanent closed season for the capture of sawfish (Pristis pristis and Pristis pectinata) using any type of fishing gear nationwide. The decision is based on the drastic population decline of these species, which are classified as critically endangered by the…
Acuerdo 1222016
Especies hidrobiológicas de explotación comercial permitida por INCOPESCA
INCOPESCA Board Agreement 122 defines which hydrobiological species — marine, continental, and aquaculture — may be commercially exploited in Costa Rica. The general rule is that all species occupying a niche in those ecosystems or susceptible to cultivation are exploitable, subject to express exceptions. Exceptions include: CITES Appendix I species…
Acuerdo 2182016
Capacitación para supervivencia post-captura de tortugas marinas en flota palangrera
INCOPESCA Agreement 218-2016 approves a permanent training program for skippers and crews of the medium-scale and advanced commercial longline fleet, in compliance with Articles 17 and 18 of Executive Decree 38681-MAG-MINAE. The training, titled 'Techniques to increase post-capture survival of sea turtles incidentally caught in Costa Rican fisheries,'…
Acuerdo 1892016
Tarifa anual para licencia de observación de cetáceos
INCOPESCA's Board of Directors Agreement 189, adopted on May 27, 2016, sets the annual license fee for national whale-watching vessels at ₡83,000.00. The decision follows a recommendation by the Tariff Commission, which analyzed commercial whale and dolphin watching operations in areas such as Marino Ballena National Park, Golfo Dulce, and the Gulf of…
Acuerdo 2192015
Veda Golfo de Nicoya para pesca semiindustrial sardinera y camaronera 2015
The Board of Directors of INCOPESCA modifies Agreement AJDIP/185-2015 to establish spatial-temporal closures in the Gulf of Nicoya. A polygon of total closure is defined for the semi-industrial purse-seine sardine fleet, bounded by a straight imaginary line from Punta Torres (Peñón) to the Lighthouse of Isla Negritos offshore, then to the eastern part of…
Acuerdo 2372015
Acuerdo 237 — Veda del pez bobo en el río Pacuare
It establishes an annual closed season during October for sport and tourist fishing of the bobo fish (Joturus pichardi) in the Pacuare River basin. The measure is based on the species' distribution, evidence of its reproductive peak in October in similar rivers, and the need for sustainable management under the Fishing and Aquaculture Law (8436). Outside…
Acuerdo 0822015
Decomiso de Artes de Pesca Prohibidas por Guardacostas y Fuerza Pública
The Board of Directors of INCOPESCA empowers officers of the National Coast Guard Service and the Public Force to immediately seize any prohibited or illegal fishing gear found during their duties. The agreement details the seizure procedure, requiring a record with two witnesses and the placement of gear at the disposal of the judicial authority or…
Acuerdo 1912014
Acuerdo 191 — Conservación del tiburón oceánico punta blanca
This agreement by the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) adopts Resolution C-11-10 of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) on the conservation of the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) in the Antigua Convention area. The resolution prohibits retaining on board,…
Acuerdo 262014
Instrucción para modelo de gobernanza de comanejo en Parque Nacional Cahuita
Executive Agreement Nº 26-2014-MINAE instructs the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC), together with representatives of the Cahuita community, to establish within six months the necessary technical and legal conditions for the co-management governance model in Cahuita National Park to continue operating. It recognizes co-management as an…
Acuerdo 1052013
Tallas de Primera Madurez para Especies Marinas de Interés Comercial
Agreement AJDIP/105-2013 of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) establishes first maturity sizes (TPM) for the main commercially exploited marine species, applicable to national and foreign commercial fleets in capture, landing, and marketing activities. The measure resulted from public consultations carried out by the…
Acuerdo 0802013
Veda regional de langosta espinosa en el Caribe 2013
INCOPESCA Agreement 080-2013 establishes a closed season for the capture of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) on the Costa Rican Caribbean coast, effective from March 1 to June 30, 2013. The measure is based on a Central American regulation adopted by the Council of Ministers of SICA under the Subregional Management of Caribbean Lobster Project,…
Acuerdo 0852013
Reintegración de la Comisión Nacional para Vedas
INCOPESCA Agreement 085, issued on February 22, 2013, amends Agreement AJDIP/036-2009 to reinstate the permanent advisory body called the National Commission for Closed Seasons. The Commission's role is to provide scientific advice to INCOPESCA's Board of Directors for the establishment and modification of closed seasons for marine and aquatic species. Its…
Acuerdo 1602012
Área Marina de Pesca Responsable de Puerto Níspero
The Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) approves, through Agreement AJDIP/160-2012, the creation of the Puerto Níspero Responsible Fishing Marine Area (AMPR) at the mouth of the Tempisque River, Guanacaste. The agreement establishes a fisheries management plan based on eight thematic axes that regulate…
Acuerdo 0282009
Plan de Acción Nacional para la Conservación y Ordenación de los Tiburones
The Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) approves and makes official the National Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks in Costa Rica (PANT) and its accompanying guide. The PANT serves as a public policy instrument to ensure the conservation and long-term sustainable use of shark…
Acuerdo 1392008
Regulación sobre el adecuado aprovechamiento y protección del recurso Tiburón
This directive from INCOPESCA's Board of Directors, adopted in April 2008, establishes rules for the exploitation and use of sharks in Costa Rican jurisdictional waters, both in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It repeals the prior agreement AJDIP/388-2006 and mandates that sharks must arrive at port with all fins naturally attached to the body, in…
Acuerdo 1712008
Suspensión del Acuerdo A.J.D.I.P/139-2008 sobre aprovechamiento del recurso Tiburón
The Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) agrees to suspend the implementation and validity of Agreement A.J.D.I.P/139-2008, which regulated the use of shark resources by requiring that fins remain naturally attached, prohibiting any partial cuts. The suspension is based on the fact that the regulation…
Acuerdo 1242005
Veda de Langosta en el Litoral Atlántico
This INCOPESCA agreement establishes a closed season for lobster fishing on the Costa Rican Atlantic coast, from April 1 to July 1, 2005. The measure is based on technical criteria from the General Technical Directorate and the Limón Regional Directorate, as well as recommendations from OSPESCA, with the purpose of protecting and conserving the lobster…
OJ-164-20242024
Exclusión de tiburones amenazados de la regulación pesquera
The Attorney General's Office reviews bill 24.496, which amends the fourth paragraph of Article 1 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (7317) to exclude from fishing laws any shark species declared threatened or endangered, or with reduced or threatened populations under a closed season, as listed in the CITES appendices. The opinion notes that a similar bill…
OJ-092-20232023
Prohibición de caza marítima del tiburón martillo
The Attorney General's Office issues a non-binding opinion on bill 23666, which seeks to ban maritime hunting and capture of hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae) by amending Article 39 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law. The opinion notes the bill aligns with Costa Rica's international commitments under CITES and the constitutional right to a healthy…
OJ-135-20232023
Aplicación de la LCVS a especies de tiburón amenazadas y límites a la excepción de INCOPESCA
The Attorney General’s Office analyzes Bill 21.754, which seeks to amend Article 1 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (7317) so that species declared threatened or endangered by the IUCN or included in CITES fall under the protection of that law, rather than being exclusively regulated by INCOPESCA. The opinion warns that the substitute text limits…
OJ-169-20222022
Pasos de fauna en infraestructuras — Proyecto de ley 23166
The Attorney General's Office reviewed Bill 23166, which would add Article 31 bis to the Environmental Organic Law, requiring all infrastructure affecting wildlife crossings to incorporate structures that ensure safe animal passage. The opinion finds that environmental impact assessment already covers this obligation, but the legislature may reinforce it…
OJ-077-20192019
Protección del pez sierra y reforma al artículo 39 de la Ley de Pesca
The opinion analyzes bill 20445, which seeks to ban the hunting and capture of sawfish (family Pristidae) by amending article 39 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law. The Attorney General's Office concludes the initiative aligns with Costa Rica's international commitments under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and CITES, which already mandate…
OJ-014-20102010
Dictamen sobre proyecto de Ley del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
The Attorney General's Office reviewed the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge bill (file 17.512), which sought to change its status from state to mixed and regularize occupants. It found the modification within legislative authority if technically and socially justified, but warned that reducing existing protection requires prior studies and a…
OJ-030-20092009
Legalidad de los permisos de pesca en el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
The Attorney General's Office responds to a consultation from Congressman Mario Núñez Arias regarding the legality of fishing permits issued by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) within the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, in the context of an investigation into potential environmental damage. It analyzes the Fishing and Aquaculture Law…
OJ-098-20092009
Requisitos técnicos para la reducción del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Corredor Fronterizo
The Attorney General's Office analyzes a bill to segregate 12.3 ha from the Border Corridor National Wildlife Refuge. It concludes that any reduction requires a technical study under Article 38 of the Environmental Law. The provided study covered a different, larger area (236 ha) and found it unviable; therefore, it does not justify the viability of the…
OJ-122-20092009
Proyecto de ley 17.383 — Reducción del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas y creación de refugio mixto
The Office of the Attorney General of Costa Rica issues a non-binding legal opinion on Bill 17.383, which proposes to rectify the boundaries of Las Baulas Marine National Park (PNMB) and to create a Mixed-Ownership National Wildlife Refuge. The opinion concludes that the bill should be rejected because it significantly and evidently reduces the terrestrial…
OJ-041-20072007
Reforma penal de la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre — Proyecto 15.673
The Attorney General's Office analyzes Bill 15.673, which reforms the offenses and contraventions under the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317). It concludes that the new criminal provisions (Arts. 90-106 and 107-121) respect the principle of penal legality, adequately describing the conduct, the active subject, and the sanctions. It positively validates…
OJ-100-20072007
Requisitos para la creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Iguanita
The Attorney General's Office analyzes the bill to create the Iguanita National Wildlife Refuge. It states that transferring land from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute to MINAE requires prior approval by its Board of Directors, since an authorizing law alone is insufficient to compel an autonomous institution to dispose of its assets, respecting its…
OJ-126-20072007
Restricciones al aprovechamiento del almendro, titor y jícaro para protección de la lapa verde
The Attorney General's Office issues a non-binding legal opinion on a draft decree by MINAE restricting timber harvesting of almendro, titor, and jícaro trees in four Conservation Areas to protect the great green macaw. It analyzes the proposal in light of Constitutional Chamber ruling 2002-2486, which struck down parts of previous decrees for limiting…
OJ-049-20062006
Proyecto de ley para declarar la tortuga baula como patrimonio nacional y especie marina nacional
The Attorney General's Office reviews the bill that seeks to declare the leatherback turtle as national heritage and national marine species, along with creating wildlife refuges and establishing protection duties. It concludes that the 'national heritage' declaration contradicts current law because marine turtles are not covered by the Wildlife Law's…