Protects wild flora and fauna, regulates hunting and captivity, and lists endangered species. Updated by Ley 9106 to ban most sport hunting.
Protege flora y fauna silvestres, regula caza y cautiverio, y enlista especies en peligro. Actualizada por la Ley 9106 que prohíbe la mayoría de la caza deportiva.
112 documents in this topic.
Ley 107642025
Ley para la gestión de artes de pesca abandonadas, perdidas y descartadas
This law establishes a comprehensive framework to reduce, mitigate, and prevent the impacts of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear in Costa Rican marine waters and navigable rivers. It creates the National Fishing Alert and Registry System and the Registry of Recovered Fishing Gear and Marine Species Incidents, under INCOPESCA's responsibility. It…
Ley 107882025
Adición de rescate de vida silvestre a funciones del Cuerpo de Bomberos
This law adds a subsection e) to Article 5 of Law 8228, the Law of the Costa Rican Fire Department, to include the management of emergencies involving wildlife among its functions. The Fire Department, advised by the relevant specialized entity (such as SINAC), must develop protocols for controlling incidents with wild animals. Their intervention is…
Ley 104572024
Ley del Colibrí como Símbolo Nacional
Law No. 10457 designates two hummingbird species —Amazilia boucardi and Microchera cupreiceps— as national symbols of Costa Rican wildlife. The primary purpose is to raise the profile of these endemic birds and reinforce the State's commitment to protecting their natural habitats. The law tasks MINAE with ensuring the conservation of hummingbird…
Ley 93482016
Ley del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
This law establishes a special legal framework for the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, originally created in 1983. It governs land use, provides legal certainty to current occupants through a system of concessions and use permits, and promotes the conservation of sea turtles and associated ecosystems. It defines categories of uses compatible, potentially…
Ley 92642014
Declaratoria del Manatí como símbolo nacional de la fauna marina
Law 9264 declares the manatee (Trichechus manatus) as a national symbol of Costa Rica's marine fauna and as a symbol of the hope and interest of Costa Rican children in the protection of natural resources. The law assigns the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) the responsibility to enforce all laws and international agreements related to the…
Ley 90222012
Reforma del artículo 11 de la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
This 2012 law amended the first paragraph of Article 11 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317) to redistribute the resources of the Wildlife Fund. Previously, the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) administered the entire fund. The amendment established that SINAC will administer 75% of the resources, while the remaining 25% will be…
Ley 91062012
Ley 9106 — Reforma a la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
Law 9106 introduces substantial reforms and additions to the Wildlife Conservation Law (Law 7317). It establishes an updated framework for the protection, management, and sustainable use of wildlife, defining key concepts, prohibiting sport hunting, and regulating activities such as collection, extraction, captive possession, trade, and exhibition. It…
Ley 86892008
Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre — Reforma Penal
This law amends Chapters XI and XII of the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317) to criminalize offenses and contraventions against wild flora and fauna, imposing prison sentences and fines calculated in base salaries. It introduces offenses such as illegal hunting, fishing, trade, importation, and exportation, as well as penalties for damage to wetlands,…
Ley 83252002
Ley de Protección de las Tortugas Marinas
This law declares scientific research on marine turtles and their habitat to be of public interest, requiring public institutions to share data with MINAE. It mandates the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on shrimp trawlers, with fines and license revocations for non-compliance. Key nesting beaches (Ostional, Nancite, Playa Grande, Tivives, Gandoca,…
Ley 80652001
Ley de Creación del Parque Marino del Pacífico
Law 8065 establishes the Pacific Marine Park as a decentralized body of MINAE with instrumental legal personality, aiming to promote sustainable human development, education, research, and conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity along the Pacific coast. It transfers several properties from INCOFER, INCOP, and RECOPE in Puntarenas to the State for…
Ley 81332001
Ley de Creación de la Junta Directiva del Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
This law amends Law No. 5100 to modify the funding source of Manuel Antonio National Park through an entrance fee, allocating 50% of those revenues to a trust fund to pay for expropriated lands within the park and later to acquire lands in protected areas of the Aguirre-Parrita and Los Santos subregions, considered strategic biological corridors. It…
Ley 77741998
Ley de Segregación de Terrenos del Refugio de Vida Silvestre de la Frontera Norte
This law segregates a specific area from the Northern Border Wildlife Refuge, located along the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, at the coordinates of the Sapoá River. The segregated lands are designated for customs, immigration, and trade purposes. The respective municipality is tasked with administering this zone, with the authority to grant…
Ley 75751996
Ley Forestal
The Forestry Law (No. 7575) establishes the legal framework for the conservation, protection and management of natural forests and the promotion of forest resources in Costa Rica. It defines key concepts such as forest, forest plantation, forest ecosystem and environmental services. It declares the State's essential function to ensure the adequate and…
Ley 75541995
Ley Orgánica del Ambiente
The Organic Environmental Law No. 7554 establishes the fundamental legal framework for the protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources in Costa Rica. Enacted in 1995, this law defines the guiding principles of national environmental law, including the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, liability for…
Ley 73171992
Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
This law establishes the regulatory framework for the conservation, management, and sustainable use of wildlife in Costa Rica. It defines the concept of wildlife, declares wild fauna as public domain and wild flora of public interest. It regulates activities such as hunting, collection, extraction, possession, trade, import, and export of wild species,…
Ley 56051974
Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres
This law fully ratifies the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), signed in Washington in 1973. The Convention establishes a global framework for regulating cross‑border trade in wild species specimens to ensure that such trade does not threaten their survival. It creates a system of permits and…
Ley 3763-11966
Convención para la Protección de la Flora, Fauna y Bellezas Escénicas Naturales
The Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere, adopted in 1940, is an international treaty that establishes categories of protected areas (national parks, national reserves, natural monuments, and virgin region reserves) and commitments to conserve the hemisphere's flora, fauna, and outstanding landscapes.…
Decreto 451972025
Reforma a la ayuda temporal por pobreza coyuntural en el sector pesquero por vedas
This Executive Decree No. 45197-MAG-MDHIS-SP partially reforms Executive Decree No. 36043-MAG-SP-MS, which establishes permanent regulations for the implementation of temporary economic assistance for fishers and their helpers affected by fishery closures (vedas). The reform amends articles 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 13, and repeals original articles 5 and 12.…
Decreto 453612025
Reforma Prohibición de captura, retención, transbordo, descarga, almacenamiento, tránsito y comercialización de productos de tiburones martillo
Executive Decree No. 45361 MAG-MINAE amends Decree No. 43900 to include a ban on the transit of hammerhead shark (Sphyrnidae) products and by-products in national territory. The amendment addresses a legal gap: while previous regulations banned capture, retention, transshipment, discharge, storage and trade, they did not cover transit, potentially…
Decreto 443292023
Oficialización de la Guía para la Prevención y Mitigación de la Electrocución de Fauna Silvestre por Tendidos Eléctricos
This executive decree officially adopts the Guide for the Prevention and Mitigation of Wildlife Electrocution by Power Lines in Costa Rica as a mandatory technical instrument for all electricity generation, transmission, and distribution companies. It creates the 'Electrificación Sostenible' (GES) working group to continuously improve mitigation measures,…
Decreto 434772022
Declaración de Santuario Natural de Tiburones al Parque Nacional Isla del Coco
This executive decree designates the marine protected area of Cocos Island National Park as a 'Natural Shark Sanctuary' to strengthen protection for 15 shark species, many of which are threatened or critically endangered per IUCN and CITES. It is based on state sovereignty over 200 nautical miles, the constitutional right to a healthy environment, the…
Decreto 410562018
Santuario del Tiburón Martillo Golfo Dulce
This decree establishes a 15,430.9-hectare natural sanctuary in Golfo Dulce to protect the hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), a species listed as Endangered by the IUCN. It prohibits fishing, capture, transport, and commercialization of hammerhead sharks within the sanctuary, which includes protected wild areas, river mouths, estuaries, mangroves, and…
Decreto 411342018
Reglamento a la Ley del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
Executive Decree No. 41134-MINAE regulates Law No. 9348, which creates a special legal regime for the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. It establishes technical standards, administrative procedures, and requirements for granting land-use permits and concessions on state lands and public entities, as well as certificates of land-use compliance and…
Decreto 405482017
Reglamento a la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre N° 7317
Executive Decree No. 40548-MINAE establishes the detailed regulation to implement the Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7317, significantly reformed by Law 9106 of 2012 driven by popular initiative. The regulation defines procedures and requirements for the conservation, management, and sustainable use of continental and insular wildlife, both in situ and ex…
Decreto 395192016
Reconocimiento de los modelos de gobernanza en áreas silvestres protegidas
Executive Decree No. 39519-MINAE, signed in Cahuita in 2016, formally recognizes and defines four governance models for Costa Rica's protected wild areas: governmental, shared, private, and by indigenous peoples and local communities. It is grounded in the Political Constitution, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Organic Environmental Law, the…
Decreto 394112015
Reglamento para el Aprovechamiento Racional de los Recursos Acuáticos en Humedales
This executive decree establishes the framework for the rational use of aquatic resources in mangroves and other wetlands, as part of the General Management Plans for Protected Wild Areas. It provides that the use of mollusks, crustaceans, and polychaetes may only be carried out by legally constituted local associations and cooperatives, once joint…
Decreto 385602014
Crea el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Longo Mai categoría privada
This executive decree creates the Longo Mai National Wildlife Refuge, a private-category refuge, over 452 hectares owned by ACE Longo Mai, Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, in Buenos Aires de Puntarenas. The declaration responds to a voluntary application by the landowner under Article 82 of the Wildlife Conservation Law, aiming to protect tropical wet…
Decreto 378272013
Día Nacional del Felino Silvestre
Executive Decree No. 37827-MINAE, issued by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Environment and Energy, declares July 4 of each year as the "National Wild Feline Day". The norm is based on the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317), the Biodiversity Law (No. 7788), and the reform to the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 9106). The recitals…
Decreto 379192013
Ratificación de la Enmienda al Artículo XXI de CITES
This executive decree formalizes Costa Rica's ratification of the Amendment to Article XXI of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), adopted in Gaborone, Botswana, on April 30, 1983. The amendment was previously approved by the Legislative Assembly through Law No. 9154 of July 3, 2013. The decree,…
Decreto 379002013
Creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Lapa Verde, categoría Privada
This executive decree establishes the Lapa Verde National Wildlife Refuge, private category, on a 509.5-hectare property in Sarapiquí, Heredia. The land, owned by Ecovida Inmobiliaria S.A., contains tropical wet forest and wetlands, hosting rich biodiversity including species classified as vulnerable or critically endangered, such as Minquartia guianensis,…
Decreto 379932013
Creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Riu
This Executive Decree creates the Riu National Wildlife Refuge, private category, on 199.7 hectares of Finca Riu, owned by SF Costa Rica Hotelera de Guanacaste S.A., in Sardinal, Carrillo, Guanacaste. The declaration responds to the landowner's voluntary application to place the property under this protection regime for ten years, automatically renewable.…
Decreto 378492013
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Río General
Executive Decree No. 37849-MINAET establishes the Río General National Wildlife Refuge as a private category over parts of four properties owned by Corporación de Desarrollo Agrícola del Monte (PINDECO-DEL MONTE) in Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, covering a total of 554 hectares. The voluntary submission to the private refuge regime for a renewable ten-year…
Decreto 380272013
Tallas de primera madurez para tiburones y rayas
This Executive Decree 38027-MAG establishes first-maturity sizes (TPM) for the capture and marketing of eight shark species, with the goal of ensuring that specimens reproduce at least once before being caught. The regulation sets a specific TPM for each species (measured as total length, dorsal-precordal length, or interdorsal length) and allows tolerance…
Decreto 373542012
Prohibición de aleteo de tiburones y regulación de aletas
This executive decree bans shark finning in Costa Rican jurisdictional waters and prohibits importing shark fins without certification that they were landed naturally attached to the body. It also forbids transporting, transshipping, or possessing fins aboard a vessel. The decree mandates that sharks be landed with all fins naturally attached. INCOPESCA…
Decreto 365152011
Regulaciones para la caza y pesca fuera y dentro de áreas protegidas
This executive decree establishes regulations for small and big game hunting outside protected wild areas, as well as for sport fishing in certain protected areas of Costa Rica. It prohibits big and small game hunting, hunting tournaments, and fishing in national parks, biological reserves, natural monuments, forest reserves, protective zones, indigenous…
Decreto 366812011
Crea Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Tapiria
Executive Decree No. 36681-MINAET establishes the Tapiria National Wildlife Refuge, under state category, on a 129-hectare state-owned property in Sarapiquí, Heredia. The land is covered by tropical wet forest and wetlands and hosts significant biodiversity: 142 tree species (two vulnerable, one critically endangered), 22 non-flying mammal species,…
Decreto 345072008
Oficialización del Humedal Laguna Pochotal
This executive decree formalizes the cartographic survey of the sector called Pochotal Lagoon Wetland, carried out by the National Geographic Institute on December 17, 2002, identifying existing natural and artificial channels. The delimitation is declared legally binding for all purposes, providing legal certainty to administrative and judicial operators.…
Decreto 349462008
Reglamento de Zonificación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo
This executive decree establishes the official zoning for the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, a mixed-category protected area aiming to balance conservation with sustainable use. It defines fifteen zones —nine terrestrial and six marine-coastal— and details for each the recommended uses, uses allowed under conditions, and prohibited…
Decreto 324052005
Creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Maquenque
This executive decree establishes the Maquenque Mixed National Wildlife Refuge in the northern border area of Costa Rica, between the mouths of the San Carlos and Sarapiquí rivers. It declares its importance for the conservation of threatened species such as the great green macaw, jaguar, and manatee, and its role as a core area of the Binational…
Decreto 326332005
Reglamento a la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre para Pesca y Refugios Nacionales de Vida Silvestre
This executive decree, originally issued as the Regulation to the Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7317, establishes the regulatory provisions for sport and subsistence fishing, as well as for the administration of National Wildlife Refuges. The current text reflects numerous reforms, mainly through Executive Decree No. 40548 of 2017, which repealed most of…
Decreto 292772001
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Isla San Lucas
The decree establishes the state-owned Isla San Lucas National Wildlife Refuge, protecting the island's 462 terrestrial hectares and the surrounding marine-coastal area up to a depth of 6 meters. This protection addresses the accelerated loss of wetland ecosystems in the Gulf of Nicoya and the need to safeguard biodiversity, fishery resources, and the…
Decreto 290192000
Manejo Participativo de Recursos Naturales en Gandoca
Executive Decree 29019-MINAE establishes the Regulation for Participatory Management of Natural Resources in the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, Gandoca sector. Its objective is to promote the integrated and sustainable management of natural resources on Gandoca beach and lagoon, with the active participation of civil society and local…
Decreto 272121998
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Privado Jaguarundi
Executive Decree 27212-MINAE declares several properties located in Los Altos del Roble, San Rafael de Heredia, as the Jaguarundi National Wildlife Refuge under private ownership. The properties, belonging to two corporations, are forested lands situated within the Cordillera Volcánica Central Forest Reserve and near Braulio Carrillo National Park. The…
Decreto 257001996
Veda total de aprovechamiento de árboles en peligro de extinción
This executive decree establishes a total and indefinite ban on the harvesting of seventeen timber tree species that are in danger of extinction in Costa Rica. The measure is based on scientific studies demonstrating the threat to these species, which are located outside protected wild areas, and seeks to ensure their protection and conservation. The…
Decreto 256631996
Restricción a la corta o aprovechamiento del árbol de almendro
This Executive Decree establishes a restriction on cutting or harvesting the almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis) in a specific zone of northern Costa Rica, aimed at protecting the great green macaw (Ara ambigua), an endangered species that relies on this tree for nesting and feeding. The decree supplements and reiterates the content of Decree 25167-MINAE…
Decreto 246381995
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Rancho La Merced
Executive Decree No. 24638-MIRENEM declares the Mixed National Wildlife Refuge 'Rancho La Merced', located in Cortés district, Osa canton, Puntarenas. The area comprises 341 hectares owned by Rancho La Merced S.A., containing primary and secondary forests and rich biodiversity of tree species, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The declaration…
Decreto 230691994
Acceso Restringido Refugio Nacional Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo para Protección de Tortugas Marinas
Executive Decree No. 23069-MIRENEM, issued in 1994, declared restricted access to Gandoca Beach within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge during the nesting season of sea turtles (leatherback, green, hawksbill and loggerhead) from March 1 to October 31 each year. It provided that turtle-watching must be done with an authorized guide, in groups…
Decreto 232591994
Reforma Refugio Nacional Vida Silvestre Limoncito
This executive decree amends Decree No. 23121-MIRENEM, which originally created the Limoncito National Wildlife Refuge. The reform changes the refuge's property category from state-owned to mixed, meaning it can now include privately owned lands within its boundaries, while retaining state-owned areas. The geographical limits of the refuge remain…
Decreto 163731985
Crea Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito
This executive decree establishes the Golfito National Wildlife Refuge in Puntarenas Province to protect tropical rainforests and native fauna, including endangered species. It is based on the Wildlife Conservation Law No. 6919 and recognizes the area's environmental importance for water regulation and erosion prevention due to steep slopes. The decree…
Res. 06130-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de construir pasos de fauna en Ruta 32
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance filing by the original petitioner against the National Roads Council (CONAVI). In 2021, the Chamber had ordered CONAVI to build and enable wildlife crossings on National Route 32 and to plan for future sections. After multiple extensions and reiterations, the petitioner claims that the institution has…
Res. 23951-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Deber del SINAC de resolver denuncias sobre fauna silvestre en zona urbana
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition filed by residents of Heredia Centro against SINAC for failing to take effective action regarding a raccoon infestation in a nearby vacant apartment that was causing severe health issues to the petitioner. Although SINAC conducted an inspection and issued management recommendations (property…
Res. 39367-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional ordena impedir uso de FADs anclados en pesca deportiva y turística
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against INCOPESCA, the National Coast Guard Service, and the Maritime-Port Division of MOPT, for allegedly failing to regulate and control the use of fish aggregating devices anchored to the seabed (FADs or “plantados”) in sport and tourist fishing. Although official inspections did not locate the devices,…
Res. 06377-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación administrativa en permiso de zoo criadero de lapas rojas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by MACAW CONSERVATION SOCIEDAD CIVIL against the Ministry of Environment and Energy for failing to issue a final decision on an application to establish a non-commercial scarlet macaw (Ara macao) breeding facility. The petition was submitted on June 21, 2023, to the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA). The…
Res. 20774-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo ambiental sobre decomiso de fauna en zoológico
The Constitutional Court dismissed the amparo action filed by a foundation representative against SINAC and ACOSA for revoking a state natural heritage use permit, denying a sanctuary‑type zoo permit, and seizing wildlife. The petitioner alleged a violation of the right to a healthy environment under Article 50 of the Constitution, arguing that the…
Res. 22606-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Anulación de la Ley 9348 del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional por falta de estudios técnicos previos
The Constitutional Chamber annuls in its entirety Law No. 9348 'Ostional Wildlife Refuge' (2016) and, by connection, its executive decree regulations. The ruling finds that the law changed the refuge's nature from state-owned to mixed and authorized land uses beyond research, protection, training, and ecotourism —including small-scale agriculture,…
Res. 13837-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad de la Ley para el aprovechamiento sostenible de la pesca de camarón
The Constitutional Chamber adjudicates a facultative legislative consultation regarding the bill for the 「Sustainable Use of Shrimp Fishing in Costa Rica」 (legislative file No. 21.478). By majority, the Chamber rules that the bill contains no substantial procedural or substantive defects, provided that the reform to Article 46 of the Fisheries and…
Res. 00673-2019 Sala Constitucional2019 · Sala Constitucional
Segregación del Refugio Corredor Fronterizo requiere estudios técnicos y compensación
The Constitutional Chamber upholds an unconstitutionality action against Law 8803 and its Regulation, which segregated about 13 hectares of the Border Corridor National Wildlife Refuge for the Las Tablillas Border Post. The Chamber finds that, although the reduction was done by law, it lacked sufficient technical studies justifying the measure and did not…
Res. 12745-2019 Sala Constitucional2019 · Sala Constitucional
Reducción del Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo por Ley 9223
The Constitutional Chamber partially struck down Law No. 9223 'Recognition of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the South Caribbean,' which redefined the boundaries of the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The Chamber found that while the law aimed to correct a historical error and recognize community rights, the removal of approximately 188…
Res. 13347-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de combustible a pesquero por pesca ilegal en refugio de vida silvestre
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by the owner of the fishing vessel 'Monarca' against INCOPESCA after the agency temporarily suspended (for three months) the competitive-price fuel benefit. The suspension followed the vessel being caught conducting trawl fishing inside the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, a protected area. The petitioner…
Res. 16535-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de vigilancia en zona de desove de tortugas marinas en Tortuguero
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTo) of SINAC for an alleged failure to monitor the beach between Jalova Lagoon and the Parismina River mouth, a nesting site for leatherback, hawksbill, olive ridley, and green sea turtles, all CITES I endangered species. Petitioners reported a July 25, 2017…
Res. 01170-2014 Sala Constitucional2014 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad de sancionar daño a humedales no declarados
The Constitutional Chamber rejected on the merits a constitutional challenge against Article 98 of the Wildlife Conservation Law, which punishes with one to three years' imprisonment anyone who drains, dries, fills, or eliminates wetlands without SINAC authorization, whether declared or not. The plaintiff argued that the phrase 'whether declared or not'…
Res. 06922-2010 Sala Constitucional2010 · Sala Constitucional
Minería metálica a cielo abierto y protección del ambiente en Crucitas
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Crucitas mining project, which involved open-pit gold mining with cyanide leaching. The majority partially granted the appeal solely because the environmental impact study was approved without the prior opinion of the National Service for Groundwater, Irrigation, and Drainage (SENARA),…
Res. 00949-2009 Sala Constitucional2009 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo por deterioro y delimitación del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen alleging general deterioration of Las Baulas National Marine Park, including unfinished expropriations, mangrove pollution, removal of boundary markers, illegal constructions, and lack of services. The Court recalled that expropriations and environmental viability had already been addressed…
Res. 13426-2008 Sala Constitucional2008 · Sala Constitucional
Prohibición de aprovechamiento del almendro amarillo para proteger la lapa verde
The Constitutional Chamber annuls an administrative resolution from the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area that allowed the harvesting of naturally fallen yellow almond wood. The court finds that the resolution disregards the vital dependency of the great green macaw —an endangered species— on the yellow almond tree, its habitat and main food source.…
Res. 17975-2006 Sala Constitucional2006 · Sala Constitucional
Principio precautorio y suspensión del Decreto de Cacería
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a citizen whose application for a big-game hunting license for the 2006–2007 period was denied. The petitioner argued that the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) had violated the principle of legality and its regulatory duty by failing to issue the corresponding Hunting Decree, which is…
Res. 08928-2004 Sala Constitucional2004 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Isla San Lucas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the unconstitutionality action against Executive Decree 29277-MINAE, which declared San Lucas Island a National Wildlife Refuge and the Puntarenas estuary a wetland. The Municipality of Puntarenas, represented by its mayor, alleged that the decree violated municipal autonomy and the principle of normative hierarchy by…
Res. 03480-2003 Sala Constitucional2003 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad del Plan Regulador de Playa Platanares frente al Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Preciosa-Platanares
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a claim of unconstitutionality against the Playa Platanares Coastal Tourism Regulatory Plan, approved by the Municipality of Golfito in 1999. The claimant argues that the plan spatially overlaps with the Preciosa-Platanares National Wildlife Refuge, created by executive decree, and that this overlap amounts to an illegal…
Res. 02486-2002 Sala Constitucional2002 · Sala Constitucional
Anulación parcial del Decreto 25663-MINAE por insuficiente protección del hábitat de la lapa verde
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for violating the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment protected by Article 50 of the Constitution. The court found that the great green macaw (Ara ambigua) is an endangered species and that its survival depends on the conservation…
Res. 09458-2001 Sala Constitucional2001 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo sin indemnización en parque nacional no viola derecho de propiedad
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for the detention and seizure of tools of two individuals who were cutting vegetation and opening a trail inside Arenal Volcano National Park. The petitioners claimed legitimate possession of the land and sought compensation for eviction. The…
Res. 01250-1999 Sala Constitucional1999 · Sala Constitucional
Inconstitucionalidad del decreto de caza de tortuga verde
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a claim of unconstitutionality filed by several environmental organizations against Executive Decree 14524-A, which authorized the commercial capture of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Costa Rica's Caribbean waters. After considering the arguments of the petitioners, reports from INCOPESCA and the Attorney General's…
Res. 00677-2026 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2026 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Improcedencia de anular permisos de manejo de fauna silvestre ya vencidos
The Administrative Court dismisses the lawsuit filed by biologist Rodolfo Vargas Leitón, owner of the Herpetological Refuge of Costa Rica, who sought to annul two SINAC resolutions (ACC-OSJ-VS-013-R-ZOO-19 and ACC-OSJ-VS-004-R-ZOO-2020) that modified his commercial zoo operating permit and ordered him to cease wildlife rescue and reproduction activities,…
Res. 03064-2025 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2025 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Improcedencia de permisos para ecoturismo en zona pública de refugio de vida silvestre
The Administrative-Contentious Court dismisses the claim filed by Turismo Curú S.A. against SINAC and the State. The company conducted ecotourism activities, including the use of vehicles and boats, on the public beach zone of the Curú National Wildlife Refuge without the MINAE authorization required by Article 18 of the Forestry Law and Article 39 of the…
Res. 04281-2024 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2024 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Indígena no obtiene permiso para zoológico comercial en territorio indígena
The Administrative Court denied Orlando Rivera Beita's lawsuit seeking annulment of the administrative procedure that rejected his operating permit for the 'Zoológico del Sur' in the Ujarrás Indigenous Territory and the seizure of wild and exotic animals. The Court found that Executive Decree 40548-MINAE is not illegal nor does it violate indigenous…
Res. 04460-2024 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2024 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Denegatoria de medida cautelar para traslado de cebras de planicie
The resolution analyzes and denies the interim measure requested by Finca Rosita S.R.L. to suspend SINAC's administrative acts that prevent the transfer of female zebras (Equus quagga) from a zoo in Guanacaste to its breeding center in Alajuela, arguing that the species is endangered and that the refusal affects its reproduction. The judge evaluates the…
Res. 00912-2023 Sala Primera de la Corte2023 · Sala Primera de la Corte
Protección del tiburón martillo como especie en peligro de extinción y nulidad de su declaratoria de interés pesquero
The First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice annuls administrative act AJDIP/290-2017 issued by INCOPESCA, which had declared the three hammerhead shark species (Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna mokarran, and Sphyrna zygaena) to be of fishing and commercial interest. The Chamber finds the act null due to defects in its subjective element (INCOPESCA lacked…
Res. 00397-2023 Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda2023 · Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda
Suspensión de orden de captura de serpientes Plato Negro y remoción de radiotransmisores
The Contentious-Administrative and Civil Treasury Appeals Tribunal hears an appeal filed by César Luis Barrio Amorós and his attorneys against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and the State, within a precautionary measure proceeding. The court upholds the lower court's decision denying the requested precautionary measure, which sought to…
Res. 00322-2020 Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda2020 · Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda
Electrocución de fauna silvestre por tendidos eléctricos y falta de precisión en medida cautelar
The Contentious-Administrative Appeals Court upholds the denial of a precautionary measure filed by an individual against Coopeguanacaste R.L., which sought the immediate installation of protective devices on the electricity grid to prevent wildlife electrocution. The court finds the request generic and imprecise, failing to specify devices,…
Res. 00305-2012 Tribunal Agrario2012 · Tribunal Agrario
Caducidad en interdictos de posesión en zona de refugio de vida silvestre
The Agrarian Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José overturned the lower court ruling and dismissed as time-barred the possession interdict action filed by a corporation against a group of squatters in the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge. The corporation claimed that the defendants invaded its property in October 2009, but witness…
Res. 00307-2011 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2011 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Casación rechazada sobre tráfico de huevos de tortuga baula
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José denies the cassation appeal filed by the defense of a defendant convicted for violating the Wildlife Conservation Law, specifically for trafficking leatherback turtle eggs. The defense argued that irreconcilable contradictions among the testimonies of the arresting officers prevented a conviction. The Court reviewed…
Res. 00241-2011 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección V2011 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección V
Improcedencia de permiso de uso de suelo en Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Administrative Court (Section V), through judgment No. 00241-2011, dismissed a lawsuit brought by an individual against the State and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), which sought a land-use permit for a dwelling within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The plaintiff had purchased possessory rights to a lot in the urban…
Res. 00030-2001 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección I2001 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección I
Suspensión de servidumbre eléctrica en refugio de vida silvestre
The Administrative Court suspends the ICE agreement that established an easement for the Tarbaca-Lindora transmission line over the Gingold Family Private Wildlife Refuge. The court finds that executing the agreement would cause serious or irreparable harm to endangered species, applying the precautionary principle. It rejects arguments that the challenge…
OJ-164-20242024
Exclusión de tiburones amenazados de la regulación pesquera
The Attorney General's Office reviews bill 24.496, which amends the fourth paragraph of Article 1 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (7317) to exclude from fishing laws any shark species declared threatened or endangered, or with reduced or threatened populations under a closed season, as listed in the CITES appendices. The opinion notes that a similar bill…
OJ-092-20232023
Prohibición de caza marítima del tiburón martillo
The Attorney General's Office issues a non-binding opinion on bill 23666, which seeks to ban maritime hunting and capture of hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae) by amending Article 39 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law. The opinion notes the bill aligns with Costa Rica's international commitments under CITES and the constitutional right to a healthy…
OJ-135-20232023
Aplicación de la LCVS a especies de tiburón amenazadas y límites a la excepción de INCOPESCA
The Attorney General’s Office analyzes Bill 21.754, which seeks to amend Article 1 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (7317) so that species declared threatened or endangered by the IUCN or included in CITES fall under the protection of that law, rather than being exclusively regulated by INCOPESCA. The opinion warns that the substitute text limits…
OJ-169-20222022
Pasos de fauna en infraestructuras — Proyecto de ley 23166
The Attorney General's Office reviewed Bill 23166, which would add Article 31 bis to the Environmental Organic Law, requiring all infrastructure affecting wildlife crossings to incorporate structures that ensure safe animal passage. The opinion finds that environmental impact assessment already covers this obligation, but the legislature may reinforce it…
OJ-077-20192019
Protección del pez sierra y reforma al artículo 39 de la Ley de Pesca
The opinion analyzes bill 20445, which seeks to ban the hunting and capture of sawfish (family Pristidae) by amending article 39 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law. The Attorney General's Office concludes the initiative aligns with Costa Rica's international commitments under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and CITES, which already mandate…
OJ-014-20102010
Dictamen sobre proyecto de Ley del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Ostional
The Attorney General's Office reviewed the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge bill (file 17.512), which sought to change its status from state to mixed and regularize occupants. It found the modification within legislative authority if technically and socially justified, but warned that reducing existing protection requires prior studies and a…
OJ-030-20092009
Legalidad de los permisos de pesca en el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
The Attorney General's Office responds to a consultation from Congressman Mario Núñez Arias regarding the legality of fishing permits issued by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) within the Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, in the context of an investigation into potential environmental damage. It analyzes the Fishing and Aquaculture Law…
OJ-098-20092009
Requisitos técnicos para la reducción del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Corredor Fronterizo
The Attorney General's Office analyzes a bill to segregate 12.3 ha from the Border Corridor National Wildlife Refuge. It concludes that any reduction requires a technical study under Article 38 of the Environmental Law. The provided study covered a different, larger area (236 ha) and found it unviable; therefore, it does not justify the viability of the…
OJ-122-20092009
Proyecto de ley 17.383 — Reducción del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas y creación de refugio mixto
The Office of the Attorney General of Costa Rica issues a non-binding legal opinion on Bill 17.383, which proposes to rectify the boundaries of Las Baulas Marine National Park (PNMB) and to create a Mixed-Ownership National Wildlife Refuge. The opinion concludes that the bill should be rejected because it significantly and evidently reduces the terrestrial…
OJ-041-20072007
Reforma penal de la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre — Proyecto 15.673
The Attorney General's Office analyzes Bill 15.673, which reforms the offenses and contraventions under the Wildlife Conservation Law (No. 7317). It concludes that the new criminal provisions (Arts. 90-106 and 107-121) respect the principle of penal legality, adequately describing the conduct, the active subject, and the sanctions. It positively validates…
OJ-100-20072007
Requisitos para la creación del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Iguanita
The Attorney General's Office analyzes the bill to create the Iguanita National Wildlife Refuge. It states that transferring land from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute to MINAE requires prior approval by its Board of Directors, since an authorizing law alone is insufficient to compel an autonomous institution to dispose of its assets, respecting its…
OJ-126-20072007
Restricciones al aprovechamiento del almendro, titor y jícaro para protección de la lapa verde
The Attorney General's Office issues a non-binding legal opinion on a draft decree by MINAE restricting timber harvesting of almendro, titor, and jícaro trees in four Conservation Areas to protect the great green macaw. It analyzes the proposal in light of Constitutional Chamber ruling 2002-2486, which struck down parts of previous decrees for limiting…
OJ-049-20062006
Proyecto de ley para declarar la tortuga baula como patrimonio nacional y especie marina nacional
The Attorney General's Office reviews the bill that seeks to declare the leatherback turtle as national heritage and national marine species, along with creating wildlife refuges and establishing protection duties. It concludes that the 'national heritage' declaration contradicts current law because marine turtles are not covered by the Wildlife Law's…