The Fishermen Association (ASOPEZ) brings together fishermen from the northern sector of the Golfo Dulce, comprising the catchment areas of fisheries ranging from the Esquinas River to the Rincon La Palma River. This area has a rich coastal-marine diversity and offers breeding sites for countless species, of both fish and other animals.

ASOPEZ’s primary objectives include strengthening and developing the capacities of its partners for management and the use and conservation of natural resources in the coastal-marine area of the region, through administrative and managerial training opportunities for the productive sector and the creation of protected areas.

Community participation refers to human influence on the refuge, including the communities in La Palma, Escondido and Rincon that serve as stopping points for tourists heading to Corcovado National Park and Drake Bay. However, most of the population is dedicated to harvesting African Palm fruit, estate care, fishing, and other temporary jobs.

For more information about its Blue Carbon Community Program, implemented in collaboration with the Neotropica Foundation, please visit the following link: http://www.neotropica.org/article/carros-y-manglares-la-dupla-perfecta/.  

For more information on ASOPEZ, please contact Maximiliano Guerrero Guerrero at the following number +506-2735-1087 (Costa Rica).