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The Belize-flagged Hung Chi Fu 68 in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. (Photo: pretoma.org)
Foreign vessels accused of unloading shark fins
(NICARAGUA, 5/19/2011)
Fondo Natura organization, from Nicaragua, and the Marine Turtle Restoration Program (Pretoma), from Costa Rica, among other environmentalist institutions, have complained that foreign vessels unload shark fins in the ports of both countries.
"In Nicaragua we have a similar problem to the one that affected Costa Rica in connection to the private piers," explained Fabio Buitrago, from Fondo Natura.
"Those people who wanted to film the landing have been denied the access to the fishery terminal, both by water and by land, and landings take place at night to avoid being detected," he stated.
The Costa Rican government outlawed the unloading of shark fins at private docks in the country, forcing foreign vessels to move to Nicaragua and do so in port terminals.
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| Shark fins. (Photo: Pretoma) |
Fondo Natura and other environmental organizations in Nicaragua reported the foreign fleet activity to the authorities of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Marena), from the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism and to the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, but no reply has been received yet.
Edgar Castañeda, an environmentalist from Costa Rica, claims that "Nicaragua cannot allow shark finning, and cannot afford to damage the marine ecosystems thousands of artisanal fishermen depend on."
Since 1998, foreign vessels have settled in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, one of the shark fin collection centers in the eastern tropical Pacific.
But on December 1, 2010, the Costa Rican government began to force them to unload their products at the public dock in compliance with Regulation Customs Law.
On 2 March, the boat Hung Chi Fu XII, with flag from Belize, was caught unloading 2,000 kilograms of sharks without fins.
The ship's captain, Taiwanese Tsa Yu Jen, was sentenced to pay a fine of USD 36,000.
Another ship, Hung Chi Fu 68, with a flag from Belize, was photographed on April 30 while unloading goods in San Juan del Sur, a Pacific bay in Nicaragua.
Formerly Hsin Chi Tsai #6, this boat unloaded products in Wong Shellfish Dock, in Puntarenas.
For the president of Pretoma, Randall Arauz, "no doubt, the recent charge against the Taiwanese captain [Tsa Yu Jen] raised this new operation of the foreign fleet in Nicaragua," as El Pregón reported.
"It is essential to count on a regional policy against the operation of these fleets, as we know that both Panama and Belize provide their flags to these unscrupulous businessmen, and they also unload shark fins in Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala," pointed out Arauz.
Miguel Gomez, Pretoma campaign consultant, called on the authorities from Costa Rica "to conduct research into the case and, if necessary, President Laura Chinchilla should ban shark fin imports by an executive decree as soon as possible, which would put an end to the image of a shark finning country we have all around the world because of these foreign fleets."
Shark fins are highly priced in Asian markets, where they are attributed aphrodisiac properties.
By Analia Murias
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
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