Stay In Costa Rica Blog

Sport fishing generates more money than commercial to Costa Rica

joaquin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:00:25 +0000

North American Anglers Contribute $599 Million Annually to Costa Rican Economy

Tourism is Costa Rica’s top industry and new research shows North Americans traveling there in 2008 to fish generated $599 million – or about two percent of Costa Rica’s gross domestic product.

The study, conducted in 2009 by The Billfish Foundation, Southwick Associates and the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), revealed 283,790 anglers visited Costa Rica and their economic impact even overshadowed commercial fishing. It was estimated 22 percent of those tourists visited the country for the exclusive purpose of fishing.

From that $599 million the study also showed sportfishing generated almost $78 million in tax revenues for Costa Rica and 63,000 jobs. In comparison, the effect of commercial fishing for the same species sought by anglers generated approximately $528 million to Costa Rica’s gross domestic product. Commercial fishing contributed $68.6 million in tax revenue and created 57,000 jobs.

“We have already had the opportunity to present the results of this study to the incoming vice president and minister of tourism,” said Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation. “And we will be making a formal presentation to a wider cross sector of government and business leaders this summer. The leadership in Costa Rica had no idea that their country receives more benefits from a sustainable recreational harvest than from the subsidized excessive effort in the commercial fishery.”

The comprehensive study included interviewing tourists at Costa Rica’s major airports to estimate the percentage who fished while visiting. The research focused on the expenditures and economic impacts of marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and dorado; species that are the most frequent targets of commercial fisherman and recreational anglers.

It was estimated the 283,790 North Americans visiting Costa Rica in 2008 spent a total of $467 million. The survey revealed $329 million was spent on travel including lodging ($119 million), restaurants ($15.6 million), flights and fishing guides ($88 million) and land transportation ($6 million). These dollars then change hands multiple times in Costa Rica, creating significant benefits for the nation’s gross domestic product. In addition, visitors spent approximately $105 million outside of Costa Rica prior to arrival for airfare or other travel expenses, though these dollars are not included in the economic analyses.

About 3,700 of those visiting Costa Rica have their own boats in the country, whether permanently or temporarily, and they spent approximately $138 million for items such as fuel ($45.6 million), maintenance and repairs ($25 million), furniture and accessories for their vessels ($48 million), staff and crews ($2.8 million), marina fees ($16.6 million), and taxes and insurance ($1.8 million).

“TBF believes that only when decision makers understand the economic importance of good fishing opportunities for tourist anglers will billfish conservation get on the radar screen of government leaders charged with economic development as well as fisheries management,“ said Dr. Russell Nelson chief scientist for TBF. “And now thanks to the dedication of TBF members and generous donors who have supported our socio-economic research, we are making the point.”

Additional work conducted in the U.S. by Southwick Associates, Inc. estimated 7.5 million Americans fished outside of their country in 2009 with 3.6 percent of them traveling to Costa Rica. Among anglers vacationing in Costa Rica, 40 percent said they would not have visited the country if they could not fish. Those anglers, who represent 116,000 visitors per year and about $135 million in tourism income for Costa Rica, said the main factor in determining their satisfaction is “quality of fishing” followed by “relative peace and quiet,” and “fishing services, boat and crew quality.” The majority of anglers reported they visited Costa Rica to catch billfish including sailfish, marlin along with dorado. Inshore species such as snook and tarpon were less frequent targets.

“This was the first study done in Central America that compares the economic contributions of recreational and commercial fishing for the same species,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, who coordinated design and methodology, management and monitoring of this research and generated information regarding U.S. anglers’ international travel activities. “We’ve completed similar work for Los Cabos, Mexico, and the results produced almost immediate benefits to fisheries management and conservation.”

That study found the Los Cabos area benefited by $1.1 billion to the economy.

Based on the success of socio-economic research in Mexico and Costa Rica, TBF already has entered into discussions with the new administration in Panama to conduct similar studies in that country.

Complete reports are available at: www.billfish.org

Source: InsideCostaRica

Fishing Report June 25th

michelle — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:01:43 +0000

Gooooooooood fishing Costa Rica!!!!!!!!!! Back down at the Los Suenos Marina Lets check in with Captain Walton and see how the month of June is closing out……

6-17 Finds Ron Pearson on board Sunny One today, and docks later after hooking up 2 Yellow Fin Tuna and 1 fine Snapper….

6-18 Up next we have Valerie Minnick trying her angeling skills and has a great day returning after releasing 1 Sailfish and hooking up 3 Wahoo and 2 Yellowfin tuna..

6-19 Today Valerie returns for more and steams in after hooking up 3 Cabrillas…

6-20 Aboard Sunny One today we have the one and only El Jefe ,the Big Kahuna, Stay in Costa Ricas founding father and our our Fearless Leader. Mr. Larry Savage who later docks after a nice day showing 10 Cabrillas and 4 Snappers Okeydokey Lar…..

6-23 Heading out this fine morning Aron Elbe calls the shots and slams it with 1 Yellowfin Tuna 1 Sailfish and 8 Whooping Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6-24 Simon Duquesnay heads out and returns after hooking up a nice Snapper for dinner….

6-25 The John Morrow group joins Sunny One today and steams back into the dock with 1 Wahoo and 1 Yellowfin Tuna aboard…..

June turned out to be a fine month for Sportfishing from the Los Suenos Marina!!!!! As always, thanks to all you anglers who shared your fishing adventures with us aboard Sunny One. Keep in touch for the best deals in Costa Rica on Luxury Villas and Condos……

Until next time……… No bananas on board………
Cathem Up Salty dog

Fishing Report June 17th

michelle — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:24:43 +0000

Gooooooooooooood fishing Costa Rica…….. Well down here once again at the amazing Los Sueños Marina, Let’s see what Captain Walton and Sunny One have been bringing up from the Briny deep….Looks like Cappy traded his Marlin Magnet, and put out the Tuna Tuner… check it out.

6-8-10 Today we find Karen Arnold on board Sunny One and hit the docks in the afternoon after a fine day hooking up 6 Yellow Fin Tuna.

6-9-10 Joining Sunny and crew is Frank ONeill returns after releasing 3 sailfish and 2 Dinner Dorado..

6-16-10 On board with us today we find David Ramson he could upon up a Starkissed franchaise after hooking up 10 awesome Yellow Fin Tuna and 1 Dorado.

Thats going to do it for now, keep up to date on our web for the latest deals and best prices on condos and Luxury Villas in Costa Rica……… Happy Dads Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Catchem up Salty Dog

Costa Rica Real Estate Market Overview

larry — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:50:08 +0000

As was the case for most Real Estate markets last year, Costa Rica saw a decline in property values in 2009. Leading up to that time Costa Rica had emerged as one of the hottest new markets for tourism and second home buyers. The combination of a vacation paradise, friendly locals and rising property values lured buyers and kept both pre-sale and re-sale markets strong. Sensing the opportunity, local developers moved forward with new projects. When the world’s economic situation worsened and cash flow tightened, speculation slowed along with home sales. Less demand softened the market and the heightened inventory forced prices down as much as 25-30% in some areas.

Due to the fact that this was not a big market to begin with, the absorption of product and recovery of pricing seems to be stabilizing quickly. Another factor that has helped the market rebound was the limited number of mortgages that were placed on Costa Rica properties. Costa Rican banks were normally more conservative and never really adopted the aggressive terms and tactics seen in many of the world’s lending institutions. Therefore foreclosures and bank inventories have not had much of a role in this Real Estate market. As a matter of fact the Costa Rica banks and local economy have fared much better than the US during this crisis. All these factors have played a role in limiting the down side and prompting the recovery of prices.

As we look regionally within the country, the Central Pacific Coast will have a huge boost this spring with the opening of the new highway linking the airport and capital city of San Jose to the Pacific Coast. This highly anticipated project has been 20 years in the offering and will cut drive time from the airport and downtown San Jose by more than half (55 minutes). The eminent opening has prompted a flurry of Costa Rican buyers to acquire beach homes at attractive rolled back prices and make this coastal paradise a regular part of their lifestyle.

Looking specifically at the Los Sueños Real Estate market, it is clear that we are fortunate to be a part of the finest Resort Development in the country. The current market in Los Sueños Resort proves that values based on superior location, abundant amenities and quality infrastructure will stand the test of time. It seems as though there is less turnover and more of a commitment with Los Sueños buyers to own property with long term intentions. However we have seen some distressed sellers who have been forced to sell at under market prices due to their financial setbacks in the U.S.

If you have an interest in speaking with a Real Estate professional regarding opportunities in Los Sueños or the surrounding area, feel free to call or email us.

Written by Larry Savage, Stay In Costa Rica Owner and Head of Stay In Costa Rica Real Estate

Fishing Report May 25th

michelle — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:19:30 +0000

Gooooooooood fishing Costa Rica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well Sunnys back from dry and looking like a shiny new penny…. Capt Walton must of found his Marlin Magnet check out the following report from the World famous Los Suenos Marina..

5-11 Karen Burks joins sunny today and docks after releasing 1 Marlin

5-12 Today with Jim Emery on board they score 1 Sailfish and 2 dinner Dorado

5-14 David Bryce is our angler today and docks after hooking up 2 Dorado and releasing 2 Sails

5-15 David joins us for another day and docks after releasing 2 Sails and 1 Marlin nice!!!!!!!!!!

5-18 Gabriela Baudrit a local Costa Rican (Tica) sets out and returns after a great day releasing 3 Sails and 2 Marlin…..

5-20 Ron Pearson tries out his angeling skills on Sunny One today and steams in after hooking up 4 nice Grouper…

5-21 Skip Jamison is aboard Sunny today and is not disappointed hooking and releasing 2 Marlin

5-23 Mr. Skip comes aboard again and slams it another day releasing 2 Sails and 1 Marlin.

5-25 Chris Criner joins Sunny One and docks on a fine afternoon after hooking up and releasing 3 Sailfish and 1Marlin…..

Wow its a veritable Marlin fest…. So whataya say all you Alpha males out there, come on down and burn off all that extra testestrone…. The prices could not be any better in fact its probably more expensive to stay at home!!!!! So check out our web for all the latest deals,,, and we will see you soon

As always thanks to all our anglers, until next time……………………….. Catchem up Your friend in Costa rica Salty dog

Costa Rica 3rd Place on Yale’s Environmental Index

joaquin — Fri, 14 May 2010 23:02:44 +0000

The Yale University has Costa Rica raked third in the world on the 2010 EPI (Environmental Performance Index) just below Iceland and Switzerland. Other countries of America Rank as follows: Chile 16th, Panama 25th, USA 61st. The bottom of the table has: Central Africa Republic and Sierra Leona.

The 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 163 countries on 25 performance indicators tracked across ten policy categories covering both environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. These indicators provide a gauge at a national government scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy goals. The EPI’s proximity-to-target methodology facilitates cross-country comparisons as well as analysis of how the global community is doing collectively on each particular policy issue.

For more information on the 2010 Environmental Performance Index, please contact:

Christine Kim
Research and Program Director
Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy or viste the website: http://epi.yale.edu/

Frontier Airlines Welcomes Pets Aboard

joaquin — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:54:13 +0000

If you were planning a trip to Costa Rica but didn’t know what to do with your pet, you can now bring it with you. We offer pet friendly accommodations in Los Sueños Resort. We welcome small well behaved pets to join their owners in their Costa Rica Vacations.

Frontier announced yesterday: “Frontier announced that customers can now travel with their small, furry friends in the cabin of the aircraft for a $75 each-way pet fare. The new in-cabin pet policy applies to small dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters or small household birds. All pets must fit into a carrier that fits under the airplane seat and they must have proper health documentation in order to fly.”

Disney’s project of reforestation in Costa Rica

joaquin — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:16:12 +0000

Saving Forests One Tree at a Time

By: Peter Lehner

Source: NRDC

News about forest conservation is often filled with sobering facts about the damage caused by deforestation.

Just recently a United Nations study found that globally we are losing the equivalent of an area the size of Costa Rica each year to deforestation. This is scary news; as we lose our forests so go countless species, some still yet to be discovered, and even more greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere.

Encouragingly though, the UN study also found that targeted efforts have helped slow the global rate of deforestation. While much remains to be done to save our forests, we are seeing that we can make a difference.

Last year, with the support of our members, NRDC’s Revive a Rainforest initiative planted 30,000 trees in Costa Rica’s Central Valley. Our local partner CATIE, a regional leader in tropical resource management, will use this project as a model for farmers, rural communities and organizations interested in reforestation initiatives.

Photo Credit: CATIE

I helped plant one of the first trees and I’m heartened to see how big the trees in our Member Rainforest have already grown — from just a few inches less than a year ago to nearly three feet tall.

Our reforestation initiative is also now seeking to restore the biodiversity of 50 acres of former cattle pasture and plantation land on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Working with the Friends of the Osa (or FOO), NRDC’s Revive a Rainforest initiative will now plant up to 50 different species of trees and plants.

Photo Credit: Tina Lee & Kristine Bucchianeri

I’ve been travelling and working in Costa Rica for many years but had never had the chance to visit the Osa Peninsula until last year. I was amazed by the abundance of wildlife — in one afternoon I saw toucans, four different species of monkeys, hundreds of dolphins in the Golfo Dulce and trees full of scarlet macaws — including one that was very friendly! The Osa is one of the wildest places on Earth and we must do all we can to protect it from the persisting threat of unsustainable agricultural and expanding real estate development.

We can restore areas that have lost their biodiversity and recreate the type of habitat where animals such as the jaguar and spider monkey can thrive again. The goal of our project with FOO is to do precisely that.

The project site will be a living laboratory, especially for young people in the Osa to learn first-hand the importance of protecting forest biodiversity. We’re excited about these projects and very grateful to the NRDC members who have supported our efforts to revive Costa Rica’s rainforests.

And I’m happy to say that The Walt Disney Company is also excited about our project and has selected the Cerro Osa Restoration project as one of five habitat restoration efforts that will receive support through Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green.

Through the Friends for Change website kids can learn how to help the planet through simple every day actions – involving their friends and tracking their collective impact. Kids can also vote to help Disney decide how much support each habitat project will receive.

Disney’s initiative means that starting at an early age kids will have a real opportunity to see and learn just how important small steps like planting a new tree can be.

In fact, as we are discovering, these small steps can collectively revive a rainforest.

Fishing Report May 1st

michelle — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:24:49 +0000

Goooooooood fishing Costa Rica!!!!!!!!!! Well back down at the world famous Los Sueños Marina, Captain Walton fills us in on the latest goings on with Sunny One……….

4-29 Mr. Ellis Ramsay joins Sunny One today and steams back in after releasing 3 Sailfish

4-30 Today Tom Dahl is aboard Sunny and has a nice day docking after boarding 4 fine Cubera Snappers.

5-1 Aboard once more is Ellis Ramsay and docks later in the afternoon after releasing 6 Sails and 1 Marlin…

Well that will wrap it up for now… Sunny Ones been running hard and steady for the last several months.. so shes in dry dock for a few days getting some belly paint and general sprucing up.. She will be back out real soon………. so until then keep posted on our Web for great deals on Condos and luxury Villas….

Back soon with more lies,tall tales and generally useless info…..

Catchem Up

Salty Dog

Traveling in Bicycle from Guatemala to Argentina

joaquin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:02:14 +0000

This week Rolo our Property Manager met an interesting couple. He is from Argentina and she French. Ramiro and Jessica stayed a couple days close to our Stay in Costa Rica office and as Rolo saw they were riding bicycles he asked: “Where they were coming from?”
They answered: “Cuba”.
Rolo surprised asked: “Where are you going to?”
They Answered: “Argentina”
They are indeed and interesting couple. Good luck guys!
To learn more about their trip you can visit their blog:
http://losvelocos.blogspot.com/

Joaquin Rodriguez