LocationsThe last hunters of the sea: Stories of Costa Rica’s fishers spotlighted on film at UN Oceans Conference
“Fundamental to life on our planet”
June 10, 2025
Roberto Murillo / La Pecera
Just 9 years after Costa Rica first worked with UNDP to advance more sustainable fisheries practices, the country will co-host with France the UN Ocean Conference 2025. Costa Rica’s pavilion will stage screenings of an award-winning film about small-scale fishers in the country.
The 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal honoured the importance of oceans in its Political Declaration:
“The ocean is fundamental to life on our planet and to our future. The ocean is an important source of the planet’s biodiversity and plays a vital role in the climate system and water cycle. The ocean provides a range of ecosystem services, supplies us with oxygen to breathe, contributes to food security, nutrition and decent jobs and livelihoods, acts as a sink and reservoir of greenhouse gases and protects biodiversity, provides a means for maritime transportation, including for global trade, forms an important part of our natural and cultural heritage and plays an essential role in sustainable development, a sustainable ocean-based economy and poverty eradication."
In June 2025 Costa Rica will join France in hosting the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. Over the years, UNDP has collaborated with Costa Rica through a range of initiatives aimed at improving fisheries management and the well-being of coastal communities. One such project, launched in 2016 triggered film-maker Ernesto Jara to start production on his award-winning film ‘AltaMar’ (the title is a play on the Spanish words “alta” and “mar”, meaning High Seas). After touring film festivals worldwide, the film will be a highlight of the Costa Rica pavilion at the UN Oceans Conference. Ernesto explains how the idea came to him:
“I first came across long line fishing in 2005 in a UNDP-supported project focused on illegal fishing in the Cocos Island Marine Protected Area, an iconic conservation zone in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where I encountered a drifting fishing boat with mechanical problems in the middle of the ocean. The life of the fishers is hard, up to a month out at sea on a small boat, and I thought that would make an impactful film. Thanks to UNDP I found a boat and crew that I could focus on, and as the production progressed I looked at the lives of their families on land too.”
These men (in these fisheries there are no women at sea) are the last hunters of the sea. The living conditions on these boats are harsh.
“Shooting the film was a challenge” says Ernesto. “4 fishermen, plus me and my cameraman, on a 12-meter boat. There were no extra beds so we had to sleep on the deck, and the seawater can damage the camera, so it wasn’t easy. What I wanted to do was to let the audience live the life of the fishermen through the screen, the rocking of the sea, the long hours in silence to think about life, the hustle and bustle and euphoria when the fish is hooked. The awards we have won show that we have succeeded in showing the working conditions, the rhythm of long-line fishing, and life in the home village. It’s like we brought the audience into the boat.”
The seafood market is increasingly recognising the need to combine environmental sustainability with social equity and human rights. This shift is driven by the understanding that sustainable practices must encompass not only ecological considerations but also the welfare of the people involved in the industry. The Monterey Framework for Social Responsibility highlights three key components: protecting human rights, ensuring equitable opportunities, and improving food, nutrition, and livelihood security. Despite these efforts, the weakest link in the seafood value chain often remains the workers at the end of the chain, who face precarious conditions and exploitation.
“The chain that has to be paid out of the proceeds of a fishing trip is long, starting with the owner of the boat, with the fishers last in the queue. I showed the film to one owner and he said ‘wow, we have to improve the lives of our people,’” said Ernesto.
UNDP Costa Rica continues to support coastal communities through initiatives such as the Small Grants Programme (SGP), which currently funds several projects in the Gulf of Nicoya. One of these efforts focuses on strengthening local artisanal mariculture, led by a community-based association. The project aims to improve sustainable production practices, enhance market access and traceability, and ultimately contribute to better livelihoods and social conditions for coastal families who depend on the sea.
The UNDP Nature Pledge further emphasizes the importance of integrating human rights with environmental goals, aiming to transform global systems to protect and restore our planet while eradicating poverty and reducing inequalities. Similarly, the Rights of Nature movement advocates for recognising the inherent rights of ecosystems, asserting that the health of the environment is intrinsically linked to human well-being. In balancing these perspectives UNDP takes a holistic approach that values both nature and the people who depend on it, ensuring that sustainable seafood production respects the environment and the rights of those at the base of the supply chain.
A new focus in sustainable seafood is gender. Women have always been prominent in the processing part of the value chain, but now are increasingly taking to the sea as well. Sandra Andraka, UNDP Food Systems Gender Focal Point commented:
“Just like in other sectors, women are the unsung heroes of sustainable seafood. In the semi-industrial longline fishing sector in Costa Rica women are not crew members. However, in small-scale fisheries, women have different roles in the value chain. Only a few go out to sea in artisanal fishing boats for a short time, the rest are usually in the process of preparing the hooks and bait or processing the fish (“fileteado”). With blue food sustainable demand growing, we need to ensure that the role of women is addressed to make the best use of all parts of the workforce to satisfy our customers.”
The rewards of being recognised as a centre of excellence in sustainable fishing are considerable —according to Credence Research, the global sustainable seafood market was worth US$ 16,845 million in 2022, and will grow 5.6% per year to $26,048 million by 2030. Consumers appreciate the health benefits of seafood, leading to a focus on sustainable sourcing in the restaurant trade and among consumers who are wary of “farmed” seafood and prefer wild-caught longline pelagics such as mahi-mahi, swordfish and shark.
“The overarching theme of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference is ‘Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’, and that’s the challenge of those fisheries which are seeking to improve their practices. The AltaMar film will bring the story alive for everyone who sees it at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice”, said Sandra Andraka.
Watch the film trailer here.
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