No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCosta Rican Coast Guard nabs shark-finning boat

Costa Rican Coast Guard nabs shark-finning boat

Coast Guard officers on Tuesday night intercepted a fishing vessel with 108 shark fins off the southern Pacific port of Quepos.

The shipment amounts to the equivalent of some 27 sharks that have been stripped of their fins and then thrown back into the ocean, a common and brutal practice among shark-finners.

Shark finning is prohibited in Costa Rica by a Fishing Law approved on Oct. 10 last year.

Coast Guard Director Martin Arias said officers detained the crew at around midnight on Tuesday, including three men identified by the last names Valverde Sánchez, Jiménez González and Valverde Ramírez, all residents of Quepos. The suspects were released Wednesday by order of the local prosecutor’s office.

According to the Fishing Law, shark-finners face immediate seizure of their vessels, the loss of their fishing licenses and fines up to 25-60 minimum wages – some $19,000-$45,000. An Environmental Court also can file charges against crew members.

Officials from the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute inspected the ship and found a load of sailfish that surpassed by 15 percent the legally allowed amount. Prosecutors ordered 775 kg of sailfish confiscated, and it will be auctioned pending permits from the National Animal Health Service.

Trending Now

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Costa Rica’s Defense Frustrates Mexico in Hard-Fought Gold Cup Stalemate

La Sele faced off against Mexico in a tense, scoreless draw at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during the final matchday of Group A...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Costa Rica’s Cutris Mining Bill Threatens Massive Environmental Damage

Costa Rica’s government is pushing a controversial bill that could open the entire Cutris district in San Carlos—848 square kilometers—to open-pit gold mining. The...

Costa Rica’s San Lucas Island Sees Kilos of Trash Removed in Cleanup

Twenty-five volunteers hauled 381 kilos of trash—mostly plastic bottles and tires—off Cocos Beach on Costa Rica’s San Lucas Island. The cleanup, set in the...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica