May 2025 – Costa Rica's Pacific coastline has gone quiet — at least beneath the waves. The government has officially hit pause on fishing in the Gulf of Nicoya, launching a seasonal three-month ban that aims to revive the ocean’s struggling ecosystems and give its marine life a critical window to recover.

Every year from May through July, fishing boats are grounded, nets are stowed, and the sea is left to heal. This “closed season” is a conservation strategy designed to protect breeding grounds and allow depleted fish populations to rebound.

“This rest period isn’t just about fish — it’s about the people, the future, and the balance we’ve pushed too far,” said Katherine Arroyo, executive director of the MarViva Foundation, one of the region’s leading marine conservation groups. “We are at a tipping point, and this is a necessary reset.”

A Crisis Beneath the Surface

The Gulf of Nicoya is one of Costa Rica’s most productive fishing zones — but that bounty has been slipping away. Over 2,600 artisanal fishers, scattered across 29 coastal communities, have watched their daily hauls shrink year after year. Many reported alarmingly low catches even before this year’s ban went into effect.

Experts blame a combination of overfishing, illegal operations, weak enforcement, and environmental degradation. Unregulated gear like long drift nets have become more common, capturing everything in their path and devastating fish stocks indiscriminately.

At the same time, agricultural runoff and urban pollution are choking the Gulf. Algae blooms are increasingly common, leading to "dead zones" where oxygen levels drop so low that marine life can’t survive. Climate change is also forcing key species — like snappers — into deeper, cooler waters, out of reach for many traditional fishers.

A Fragile Livelihood at Stake

For the communities that rely on fishing to survive, the seasonal closure is both a lifeline and a hardship. Without fish to catch, income dries up. But without the ban, the future of fishing in the Gulf is even more uncertain.

The Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (INCOPESCA) and environmental groups are urging a coordinated response: stricter enforcement of fishing regulations, expanded monitoring of illegal practices, and greater support for fishers during the closed season.

“This isn’t just an environmental issue,” Arroyo emphasized. “It’s a social and economic crisis. And it’s one we can still turn around — if we act now.”

Hope on the Horizon

Despite the challenges, the seasonal ban offers a rare moment of optimism. When respected and enforced, such closures have been shown to dramatically improve fish stocks and biodiversity. They provide nature a breather — and coastal communities a chance to regroup.

Costa Rica, known globally for its eco-conscious values, is once again putting those ideals into practice. By temporarily stilling the waters of the Gulf of Nicoya, it hopes to ensure that the ocean continues to provide — not just for this generation, but for the many still to come.