Oceans & Turtles · Pacific coast, Costa Rica

Costa Rica Court Orders Ban on Anchored FADs in Pacific Sport Fishing

Costa Rica's Constitutional Court has ordered the government to ban, police and remove the anchored fish-aggregating devices, known locally as plantados, that some Pacific sport fishing operations use to concentrate marlin, sailfish and tuna. The ruling, dated Nov. 28, 2025 and reported in February 2026, gave the fisheries institute INCOPESCA three months to issue the ban.

By Pura-Verde.com Editors · Published October 30, 2026
Original report: La Nación: Sala Constitucional ordena prohibir los dispositivos agregadores de peces que se usan en pesca deportiva (2026-02-11)

Costa Rica's highest court has told the government to shut down a fishing shortcut that's been hiding just below the surface of the Pacific. In a ruling dated Nov. 28, 2025, the Sala Constitucional ordered authorities to prohibit, monitor and dismantle anchored fish-aggregating devices, or FADs, that some sport fishing operations use to pull big fish into one predictable spot. La Nación reported the decision on Feb. 11, 2026.

What a plantado is and why it works

In Costa Rica these devices are called plantados. According to the details La Nación drew from the case, each one has three parts. A concrete block weighing up to about a tonne sits on the seafloor as an anchor. A steel cable runs up to a metal buoy that floats 6 to 12 meters below the surface, deep enough that patrol boats can't see it but easy to find again with GPS. Hanging from the buoy is netting or fabric that throws shade and gives small creatures something to cling to.

That little patch of shelter starts a food chain. Plankton gathers, small fish follow, and then come the predators that anglers pay to chase: marlin, sailfish and tuna. The person who filed the case argued that this turns sport fishing into something closer to guaranteed fishing, where finding fish takes GPS coordinates rather than skill. According to the report, some tour operators and marinas openly advertised trips to these fixed points.

What the court decided

The case was a recurso de amparo, the fast-track constitutional complaint any person in Costa Rica can file, under case file 25-021856-0007-CO. The ruling is resolution No. 2025039367. La Nación didn't name the person who filed it.

INCOPESCA, the national fisheries institute, and the Coast Guard told the court they hadn't found physical evidence of the devices on patrol. The court didn't accept that answer. It reasoned along three lines, as summarized by La Nación:

• Public signs were enough. Ads, web links and tour offers that named FADs gave the state a stronger duty to investigate. It couldn't claim not to know.
• The precautionary principle applies. In environmental law, a lack of full scientific certainty isn't a reason to do nothing when harm could be serious or irreversible. Magistrates Fernando Cruz Castro and Paul Rueda Leal wrote separate opinions stressing that point.
• Navigation safety can't be passed off. A steel buoy a few meters down is a hazard for large commercial ships, which sit far deeper in the water. The Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) had pointed to gaps in the rules, but the court said maritime safety is the state's job either way.

The court also flagged possible harm to the seafloor, since the heavy anchor blocks can land on sensitive habitat such as seamounts.

What the government has to do

The orders are specific. INCOPESCA's board of directors had three months to adopt an agreement that bans both the use and the promotion of anchored plantados. The Coast Guard and MOPT must coordinate real operations, with suitable technology, to locate and haul out the existing blocks, cables and buoys.

As of late October 2026, we hadn't found a published INCOPESCA board agreement on plantados on the institute's site, or news coverage of removal operations. That doesn't mean nothing has happened, only that it isn't public yet in the places we checked. We'll update this story if that changes.

Why it matters for the Pacific coast

Sport fishing is a major draw in towns like Quepos, Los Sueños, Flamingo and Golfito, and it rests on the idea of fair chase and catch-and-release for billfish. Fishing over a hidden fixed device undercuts that idea and can concentrate pressure on the same fish in the same place day after day.

The ruling also fits a pattern. Costa Rica's courts have repeatedly stepped into marine management when they felt agencies were moving too slowly, and judges here lean on the precautionary principle in environmental cases. You can see a similar approach in the court order to protect the Tempisque River. For a look at another effort to protect Pacific marine life, see our story on the campaign to help Costa Rica's coral reefs.

What it means if you're booking a fishing trip

If you're planning a charter on the Pacific, it's reasonable to ask how and where the crew finds fish. Reputable operators should be comfortable explaining that they troll, look for birds and current lines, and release billfish. A trip pitched around a secret spot that always produces fish is worth questioning, especially now that the country's top court has ordered those devices removed. Our guide to responsible fishing in Costa Rica has more questions to ask a captain, and our marine conservation guide covers the wider effort to protect the Pacific.

Frequently asked questions

Are FADs legal for sport fishing in Costa Rica?

The court has ordered them banned. The Sala Constitucional told INCOPESCA to prohibit the use and promotion of anchored plantados and told the Coast Guard and MOPT to remove existing ones. We hadn't found INCOPESCA's published ban as of late October 2026.

When was the Costa Rica plantados ruling issued?

The ruling, resolution No. 2025039367, is dated Nov. 28, 2025. It became widely known when La Nación reported it on Feb. 11, 2026.

Why are anchored FADs a safety risk?

Their buoys float 6 to 12 meters below the surface, out of sight. The court said they endanger large ships with deep hulls.

Does the ruling affect catch-and-release fishing?

No. It targets the anchored devices, not sport fishing itself. Regular trolling and catch-and-release trips continue under INCOPESCA's existing rules.

Sources and original reporting

1. La Nación: Sala Constitucional ordena prohibir los dispositivos agregadores de peces que se usan en pesca deportiva (2026-02-11)
2. Sala Constitucional, Poder Judicial de Costa Rica (official site)
3. INCOPESCA (official site)

We wrote this story from the published reports and official sources above. We didn't interview the people named unless the story says so.