Costa Rica Fishing Law Says Leave the Sailfish in the Water for Photos

The legal way to get a sailfish photo

without harming the fish,

photo credit: Crocodile Bay Resort

on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Hauling a sailfish aboard your charter fishing boat to shoot a photo is illegal in Costa Rica, and can cost $4,000.00 in fines.

"Research has shown that [hauling sailfish aboard a boat] greatly reduces the fish's chance of survival. It puts added stress on the fish, damages internal organs and removes the protective slime from the body."
"Fish secrete a mucoprotein that covers the scales and skin, acting as a defense against illness caused by bacterial, parasitic and fungal invasion," writes Todd Staley of the Crocodile Bay Resort in the Osa Peninsula.

Read the whole story at the Tico Times: Don’t be a hero: Leave sailfish in water for photos.

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Costa Rica fishing law requires sailfish (billfish) catch and release with no hauling fish out of water, or face $4,000 fine.