Randall Arauz is a Costa Rican biologist graduated from the University of Costa Rica in 1987. He is a founding member and President of PRETOMA, a Costa Rican NGO established to protect marine life in 1997. Drawing international attention to the inhumane and environmentally catastrophic shark-finning industry, Arauz led the campaign to halt the practice in Costa Rica, making his country the new international model for shark protection. For this, in 2010 he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize (dubbed the “Environmental Nobels”) for Central and South America.
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.
Visit Randall’s page at the Goldman Award site.
See an interview about it with an old friend here.
See Randall with the prize here!
