Save Cocos Island National Park from Longline Fishing

The pristine waters of Cocos Island, Costa Rica are home to the critically endangered eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtles and a rich diversity of marine life, all of which are threatened by continued longline fishing near this National Park. We need your help to call on President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica to provide the greatest possible protections for sea turtles and marine wildlife throughout the Cocos Ridge region.

Longlines Plague Cocos Island's Marine Ecosystem

The area is one of the very few places on earth where ocean life still thrives as it once did everywhere on the planet, yet tens of thousands of endangered sea turtles and sharks are being hooked and killed there every year.

Currently, even though fishing is outlawed in the 12 nautical miles of ocean surrounding Cocos Island National Park, longliners are still seen poaching sea life there.  Just outside of the official no-fishing zone, industrial longliners scour the ocean for mahi-mahi to catch and sharks to fin. Longliners set fishing lines that are miles long, with thousands upon thousands of hooks that snag whatever’s in the way, including sea turtles.

Help Create an International Marine Protected Area Between Cocos and Galapagos

STRP is calling for the creation of a much larger, international marine protected area with Ecuador that connects Cocos with the Galapagos Islands. This swath of ocean is a key "swimway" for sea turtles and a vast profusion of marine life.

Sign the petition below to President Chinchilla asking for a comprehensive and effective plan to save the Cocos Island region and its endangered sea turtles!