Costa Rica News – Travelers were trapped for hours by a fishermen’s protest, a demonstration asking for solutions for the unemployment crisis in coastal areas of the country. The demonstration took place from 7am to 4pm yesterday.
Two points on Route 1 were closed. Small cars were able to use an alternative route but those on buses and in trucks were trapped.
A spokesman for the protesters warned that they have sufficient resources to hold the protest for three days. About 500 fishermen are involved in this demand for the Government to meet their 8 conditions.
Fishermen met with the government this morning but were not able to reach an agreement. At 8pm, there is a scheduled meeting with the Minister of the Presidency at the Coast Guard station in Caldera.
The requests call for the Government “to dignify and respect fishing activity.” They ask that licenses for shrimp fishing be reactivated. This activity was banned in 2013 leaving dozens unemployed. Another request is to not sell or promote licenses with new gear for tuna fishing until scientific-technical studies show its viability.
The Government must hear the demands of environmental groups as well as those communities where fishing is the only available livelihood. The Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture met the demands the Chamber set in 2013 to allow the reactivation of fishing but still President Carlos Alvarado is against reactivating certain fishing techniques.
