One of the founding members of Migramar, Randall has received international recognition for his work in changing legislation in Costa Rica to protect sharks from the unsustainable practice of finning.

The work of Goldman Prize winners often focuses on protecting endangered ecosystems and species, combating destructive development projects, promoting sustainability, influencing environmental policies and striving for environmental justice. Prize winners are often women and men from isolated villages or inner cities who chose to take great personal risks to safeguard the environment.

Randall has been honoured for his tireless work to conserve key threatened species in Costa Rica through the NGO which he directs, Pretoma. He and his team have worked with local communities to address the threat of shark finning by foreign fishing vessels which land their catch illegally in privately owned piers, contravening the laws of Costa Rica. He has also carried out movement studies on a regional context as part of the Migramar network, tagging hammerheads, bull sharks and silky sharks along the coast of Costa Rica and at Cocos Island.

“Shark finning is not only cruel; it is irresponsible and unsustainable fishing at its highest degree” said Arauz during the filming of the award video detailing his work. “In spite of this, it has been close to impossible to attain any international binding management and conservation measures to curtail this practice.”

Announced every April to coincide with Earth Day, the Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots environmental heroes from the six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk.

Randall’s acceptance speech

“When I started Pretoma over 14 years ago, I had no idea WE were going to go so far! And I say “we”, because over the years a team of dedicated conservationists has performed the most diverse of tasks to fulfill our mission, which is to protect, and restore, endangered marine wildlife.

Sadly, shark finning is far from over. Global shark population declines are estimated at 90%, mostly due to shark finning. Governments are drafting “Shark Action Plans” in an effort to reverse the negative trend on shark populations. But NOTHING has been done YET, to actually curtail shark mortality.

More than 100 foreign longline shark finning vessels still operate illegally in private docks of Costa Rica. Recently, investigative journalists have exposed drug trafficking and indentured servitude alongside shark finning at these private docks, whose operators take advantage of lax customs enforcement.

So what’s next?

As with many pressing environmental problems, we have the scientific knowledge to solve them. We must act now!

To restore shark populations, it’s going to take the protection of critical shark habitats through the creation of Marine Protected Areas, and it’s going to take strong fisheries regulations.

At PRETOMA we support small scale sustainable fishermen. We won’t stand for huge industrial foreign fleets wiping out the world’s shark populations!

This is where everyone can help us make a difference. I urge you to call on your representatives to make educated decisions, and support all measures possible to protect sharks. Tell your friends about the problem, especially if you know politically influential people. Sharks need all the help they can get, from all sectors of society.

I would like to thank the Goldman Foundation for this award. It is the fruit of many years of hard work by many people. I hope this award serves as an inspiration to other small NGOs working with few resources. It is sometimes overwhelming to battle major economic interests on shoestring budgets, and disappointment may come easily, but we must hang in there!

I would like to thank my parents and siblings, my lovely wife Isabel and two kids, Daniel and Grisel, as well as Pretoma’s supporters and partners – Todd Steiner, Ricardo Soto, Georgina Domberger, Mario Boza, and 1999 Goldman Prize winner Jorge Varela.

Muchas gracias a todos. Now, its time to get back to saving sharks! I hope you decide to join us! ”

Visit the Goldman Prize page for Central and South America.