Costa Mar fishing captains adopt new vessel-safety standards

The Costa Mar Small-Boat Fisheries Cooperative announced a voluntary safety agreement on September 30, requiring all member vessels to undergo annual hull inspections and crew certification in emergency protocols. The accord, drafted in consultation with the Federal Hydro Authority, applies to the 47 active fishing boats operating within the region's waters and aims to reduce the number of maritime incidents that have claimed three lives in the past two years.

Captains will begin inspections in October, with a completion deadline of March 2027. The cooperative will fund half the inspection costs through a levy on fish-export revenues; crews will cover the remainder through a small increase in cooperative membership fees.