Costa Rica’s coastal population is culturally and economically closely tied to the seashore and strongly dependent on artisanal fisheries. However, blocked access to marine resources, degraded and polluted habitats and declining fish stocks threaten livelihoods and increase local poverty. The artisanal fishermen’s cooperative CoopeTárcoles R.L, encouraged the community to use local marine resources sustainably, thus guaranteeing their economic future and cultural way of life. They led a dialogue with the semi-industrial fleet to reach agreements on the use of the marine territory. They have promoted a collaborative governance model for the management of the country´s marine territory where fishers and government work together towards responsible fishing and improvement of the quality of life of the communities.