Costa Rican Fishing Sector

摘要

In terms of the overall Costa Rican economy, the fishing industry (salt water fisheries and aquaculture) is a very minor part. The industry's production value has never been as high as 1.0 percent of gross domestic product, its exports are minor (3.2 percent of total exports in 1985), and its labor force is less than 2.0 percent of the country's total. The industry's importance lies more in its potential as a source of protein for domestic consumption, fast-growing profitable exports, employment in depressed coastal areas, and technological improvements at the small producer level. Exploitation for export has already increased, but the industry needs greater access to credit, more coherent government policies, and more data on its resources to encourage rational use without overexploitation.