Costa Rica News & Events – The second annual World Fishing Tournament will be held in Quepos this April. It’s expected that over 800 tourists will be coming specifically for the event, greatly benefiting the economic situation of the area.
This offshore world championship is the perfect opportunity to highlight the country’s fishing sector, one which generates more than 2% or the Gross Domestic Product, according to Enrique Ramirez Guier, the Executive Director of the Costa Rican Fisheries Federation.
The high fishing season started in November and the number of sport fishing tourists has intensified since then. Last month, Costa Rica hosted the Horseshoe Tournament, in which over 2,000 sailfish were reportedly caught. 200 people attended the Billfish Quepos Cup in February at Marina Pez Vela. The Costa Rican waters are highly concentrated with fish, which attracts more tourists each year.
The event in April already has 250 people from 60 countries registered. They will bring family and friends to spectate, bringing the number to around 800. In 2013, the World Fishing Tournament brought in profits that exceeded $2 million. Catch and release and other responsible fishing regulations are in place to protect the fragile marine ecosystem in Costa Rica, the world headquarters of sport fishing.
