A bill introduced on Tuesday afternoon will seek to create a fund for the conservation of the Costa Rican seas.
The initiative is led by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), legislators of the Citizen Action (PAC), National Liberation (PLN) and Frente Amplio parties, as well as the MarViva Foundation.
The National Fund to Encourage the Conservation of Ecosystem Services of the Sea and Marine-Coastal Resources (FONASEMAR) will aim to protect Costa Rica’s wealth in its 450,000 square kilometers of marine space.
The proposal would finance initiatives for the conservation of ecosystem services of the sea and coasts, as marine ecosystems provide services such as fisheries, climate regulation, transport, tourism, recreation and ecological support.
Haydée Rodríguez, Manager of Political Advocacy at Fundación MarViva, explained that the sea provides ecosystem services that include food and protection against natural events.
This project recognizes these services and allows financing projects that promote their conservation,”
said Rodríguez.
PAC legislator Marcela Guerrero said that one of the great obstacles to the conservation of the seas has been the lack of funding.
With this project, the state will have for the first time funds for control, monitoring, cleaning, recycling, productive alternatives and research for the benefit of the seas,”
said Guerrero.
FONASEMAR would be financed in three ways:
– With resources of a tax on the polluting capacity of packaging, which would be from 2% to 10% and 40% to disposable plastic bags.
– Tax on the trasport of goods by sea.
– A voluntary contribution by license holders and sport and tourist fishing cards.
It is a concrete proposal based on the existing administrative structure to facilitate its operation and ensure its efficiency, complement the successful efforts undertaken by the country in the payment of environmental services,”
added the Deputy Minister of Water, Seas, Costas and Wetlands, Fernando Mora.