Some of the first tourists to come to Costa Rica were anglers coming to enjoy the amazing and rich waters for fishing on both coasts of this spectacular country. The amazing flatwater fishing on the Pacific Coast is one of the world’s meccas for bill fishing, and earlier this month, the 20th anniversary of the Offshore World Championships was held at Marina Pez Vela. While the importance of Sportfishing economically has been well documented, there has also traditionally been a stigma about the type of tourism this attracts, with far too much attention paid to the parties, drinking, and guys looking for “female companionship”. While there is certainly some truth to the stigma, what is FAR MORE predominant is the multigenerational element of fishing in Costa Rica, both in the local and tourism community, and the growth of families and women coming to enjoy the amazing waters of Costa Rica.
As for the multigenerational aspect here locally. There is a rich history. In the coastal communities of Costa Rica, Fishing has LONG been part of the culture and lore, and in many instances has been the main source of income and sustenance for families for generations. There are still many communities where “pesca artesenal” or local fishermen working daily to bring home food and fish to sell at market is a vibrant and important part of the local economy. In addition to these “subsistence” fishermen, with the increase in Sportfishing, we are now in our second generation of men and women who are working as captains and mates in the fast-growing sportfishing. These jobs are offering not only higher salaries, opportunities to learn English, and improved working environments and hours for these anglers, but also creating opportunities for international travel and experiences, once beyond the dreams of many local families. The first local captains were originally fishermen pulled from the commercial and local fishing boats, moving into the charter and private boats. Now we are seeing the first generation of young captains and mates who have been brought up in this culture and who are among the finest anglers in the world, raising the bar each and every day.
In regards to the changing face and stigma of the Sportfishing world, it has been a learning and inspirational process for me on a personal level. Somewhat daunted at the thought of having our sales office at Marina Pez Vela and then taking on a role as a sales director at the project, I was concerned about being a part of what I had always thought was the “dark side” of tourism. That being said, after 5 years here, perhaps the most important lesson has been that fishing is a FAMILY AFFAIR and one where we see far more grandfathers, sons, daughters, and female anglers participating than I would have imagined.
Every afternoon, I watch in front of my office as families line up to wait for their husbands, fathers, sons, or friends to pull in on the charters with the beaming faces of their clients ready to share the lore of the day's catch. I watch teams and charter operations like the Good Day, run by Jackpot Sportfishing, posting daily pictures of families, first catches, multiple generations out on these epic adventures, and creating memories. At Marina Pez Vela, we hosted our first annual Pescadora, an all-female angels tournament, and it ended up being one of our biggest turnouts of any tournament ever. I see FAR more families coming on and off the docks than I do the stereotypical drunken angler. At this year's Offshore World Championship, while the teams were offshore competing, the organization committee and a group of captains and crews from our Marina Yacht Share team took 50 underprivileged youth to teach them how to cast and the basics of fishing with 50 rods, which Bonnier Corporation brought down. IT was an AMAZING event with kids beaming at the opportunity to learn about fishing and the sea, and was topped off at the end with a magical surprise that Bonnier donated each child their brand new youth angler rod. Whether it becomes a hobby and passion for some of these kids or one of them is winning the award for top captain or mate in a few years as they grow into the profession, what resonates is that the Sportfishing business here is MUCH more than a party. It is a real celebration of sustainability, family, work ethic, and a generational affair.