Costa Rica Officially Bans Hunting Nationwide

Following a successful final—and unanimous—vote on Monday, Costa Rican lawmakers officially outlawed hunting as a sport. The new law is a landmark move for the country, making it the first Latin American nation to enact such a ban. The animal-saving reform doles out fines of up to $3,000 or jail time of up to four months for those caught hunting as well as smaller penalties for those capturing wild animals including jaguars and pumas, which are often sought by foreign game hunters. In addition, the new ban protects the country’s treasured sea turtles and aims to discourage exotic pet collectors looking to possess its parrots. Approximately 177,000 signatures urging the law’s passing were collected two years ago, making it the first proposal delivered to Congress by popular initiative.