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Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica, will receive a prize for Excellence in National Stewardship of the Ocean, for expanded protection of the waters around Coco Island.
The recognition is being presented by the Peter Benchley Awards, for the creation of the Seamounts Marine Management Area, a breakthrough effort to reduce illegal fishing in this biological hotspot. This new conservation site is Costa Rica’s first oceanic area, and becomes the second largest in the whole Eastern Tropical Pacific Region. It is the first time the organization awards a prize in this category.
The ceremony will take place Friday in Washington, D.C.
