• The workshop aims to strengthen capacities and improve interinstitutional coordination to tackle crimes affecting marine conservation.

Satellite remote sensing technologies are beginning to transform how Costa Rica addresses illegal fishing. Judges, prosecutors, and authorities responsible for enforcing marine legislation participated in a training session to understand the scope of using satellite-based information in sanctioning processes against crimes that threaten the country’s marine biodiversity and fisheries resources.

The activity, titled “Satellite Detection Technologies and Sanctioning Processes for Marine Protection in Costa Rica,” aimed to strengthen the capacity of the justice system to incorporate evidence derived from advanced technological tools in the prosecution of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as other marine environmental crimes. For the participating organizations, facilitating the strengthening of capacities among judges, prosecutors, and operational authorities is essential to ensure that information generated by these technologies can serve as robust evidence in judicial proceedings.

This event took place as part of the project “Strengthening Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR),” funded by the Bezos Earth Fund, coordinated by Fundación Pacífico, and implemented by WildAid, JAC, and partner organizations. It is also part of the Marine Protection System’s actions, as well as the Prevention, Protection, and Control Plan of the Coco Marine Conservation Area, supported in its implementation by WildAid and Faico.

During the session, several remote sensing tools were presented, demonstrating their capacity to track vessels at sea through satellite signals, enabling the generation of precise information on suspected illegal fishing activities. This type of evidence can be crucial for initiating investigations and supporting judicial processes.

According to specialists, the use of these systems represents a significant shift in marine surveillance. While patrolling vast ocean areas with vessels can be costly and limited, satellite technology allows extensive zones to be monitored in real time at a considerably lower cost. Additionally, these tools enable progress toward a more effective, predictive surveillance model—one that can identify risks and behavioral patterns of fishing fleets and anticipate potential illegal activities before ecosystem damage occurs.

According to Zuleika Pinzón, Project Coordinator at Fundación Pacífico: “Addressing illegal fishing is an interinstitutional effort. Technological tools provide information to handle cases and support the personnel involved. These tools, their scope, and their potential to improve decision-making in sanctioning processes were presented,” she stated, adding: “We are united to conserve marine and coastal ecosystems, upon which our lives depend. Ensuring their sustainability is essential because everything is connected.”

For WildAid:

“Our commitment is to promote the most effective marine protected areas in the world. This workshop strengthens access to cutting-edge technology and improves the interinstitutional coordination needed to tackle illegal fishing in Costa Rica,” said Chris Wilcox, Senior Director of the Marine Program at WildAid.

The Training and Supervision Unit of Costa Rica’s Public Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for training and selecting personnel across the country who work in national prosecution offices. Édgar Barquero Ramírez, Deputy Prosecutor and head of this Unit, emphasized:

“This activity represents a major step forward by strengthening interinstitutional cooperation. I have had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of very innovative topics such as satellite detection, to question its origin and legality, and how it can be most appropriately applied in real cases, always from a collaborative and knowledge-sharing perspective.” He added that this Unit, as “the university” for prosecutors in the country, is highly interested in disseminating this knowledge, ensuring it is documented, and that environmental crimes are handled in the best possible way.

The session also included technical presentations from organizations such as Global Fishing Watch, a member of the Joint Analytical Cell (JAC), as well as practical exercises based on case studies simulating sanctioning processes related to illegal fishing.

Through initiatives like this, Costa Rica, as part of CMAR, seeks to consolidate a more efficient marine surveillance model—one in which technology, interinstitutional cooperation, and the justice system work in coordination to protect marine and coastal ecosystems and the resources upon which thousands of communities depend.

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More information

Fundación Pacífico: An innovative regional financing platform that seeks to ensure the sustainable management of the Eastern Tropical Pacific

WildAid: Its mission is to help achieve the world’s most effective marine protected areas. It works with governments, partners, and communities in monitoring, control, and surveillance through cutting-edge technology, training, and operational strategies to combat illegal fishing. Its work in Costa Rica directly contributes to the protection of the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Amigos Isla del Coco (Faico): Its objective is to channel and execute human, technical, and financial resources to contribute to the effective management of the Coco Marine Conservation Area and surrounding and essential ecosystems of the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR): A regional initiative for conservation and sustainable use, made up of Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama. It seeks the proper management of biodiversity and marine and coastal resources through an ecosystem-based approach and the development of joint governmental regional strategies with the support of civil society and international cooperation and non-governmental organizations.