Helicopter drops explosive devices as Venezuela tuna seiner threatens tourists; tenth attack in past two years …
This Venezuelan tuna vessel 15 miles off the coast of Garza, Costa Rica, attacks a Sportfishing boat with its helicopter, dropping explosive devices.
GARZA, Costa Rica and FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida, USA — A U.S. based world fisheries conservation association is demanding disciplinary action after the attack by a commercial Venezuelan tuna purse seining vessel and its helicopter on a sportfishing boat off the coast of Costa Rica.
On Sunday August 1, at approximately 3 p.m. the Silver-Rod-O, a U.S. sportfishing vessel owned by TBF member Gary Carter, of Duluth, Ga., was assaulted by the Venezuelan flagged tuna purse seiner La Rosa Mistica while fishing approximately 15 miles off the coast of Garza, Costa Rica.
According to Carter the Silver-Rod-O was fishing around a school of spinner dolphin for yellowfin tuna and billfish, when the helicopter from La Rosa Mistica began circling the area.
“We were celebrating one of our guest’s first-ever sailfish release, when the seiner veered from its course and headed directly toward our boat. The helicopter then began making passes over the anglers and as the seiner came closer and began setting its net, the helicopter started dropping incendiary devises around the Silver-Rod-O and the school of spinners. Read more...(1003 words, 5 images, estimated 4:01 mins reading time)
Costa Rica shrimp boat will just be one of 1000s that fish off the coast are now being tracked by satellite to see if they are involved in the drug trade.
In Sept, 2009 Costa Rican Fishing Institute (Incopesca) and with the help of organizations like The Billfish Association, established a satellite monitoring system to monitor and control the activity of the fishing vessels engaged in tuna fishing with purse seines in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Costa Rica. Generally, a countries EEZ extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) out from its coastal baseline.
But was there more to this … was this just a preamble for more to come?
Last week Costa Rica had a reality lesson when US warships and troops suddenly appeared off the coast to help with President Chinchilla, commitment on the war against drugs. It is no secret that Costa Rica in the last few years has become the hub of drug trade. Cocaine in the bellies of shark and capturing mini submarines filled with the 1970 pounds of cocaine are just the tip of the iceberg. Read more...(670 words, 1 image, estimated 2:41 mins reading time)
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tourism is Costa Rica’s top industry and new research shows North Americans traveling there in 2008 to fish generated $599 million – or about two percent of Costa Rica’s gross domestic product.
The study, conducted in 2009 by The Billfish Foundation, Southwick Associates and the University of Costa Rica, revealed 283,790 anglers visited Costa Rica and their economic impact even overshadowed commercial fishing. It was estimated 22 percent of those tourists visited the country for the exclusive purpose of fishing.
Recreational fishing surpasses commercial fishing revenue; more CR jobs.
From that $599 million the study also showed sportfishing generated almost $78 million in tax revenues for Costa Rica and 63,000 jobs. In comparison, the effect of commercial fishing for the same species sought by anglers generated approximately $528 million to Costa Rica’s gross domestic product. Commercial fishing contributed $68.6 million in tax revenue and created 57,000 jobs.
“We have already had the opportunity to present the results of this study to the incoming vice president and minister of tourism,” said Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation. “And we will be making a formal presentation to a wider cross sector of government and business leaders this summer. The leadership in Costa Rica had no idea that their country receives more benefits from a sustainable recreational harvest than from the subsidized excessive effort in the commercial fishery.” Read more...(964 words, 2 images, estimated 3:51 mins reading time)
Refusing to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), the next endangered species may be Costa Rican Shrimp Fishermen
If there was a golden opportunity for Costa Rica to capitalize on a need of Gringo’s taste buds, and to help stimulate their economy it is now. But unfortunately, for a country that has been one of the heavy weights of ecology, they, have turned their backs on a major eco problem that if not corrected, will have sever consequences.
Back in May, 2005 the U.S. had banned Costa Rica Shrimp Industry from exporting the tasty creatures because it has become a threat to the endangered Sea Turtles. Costa Rica wild-harvested shrimpers refused to employ Turtle-Excluder devices (TEDs) in their nets. They have had the opportunity three times in the last five years to have this ban lifted. And with that said, now have another threat, their species itself.
TED is a specialized device that allows a captured sea turtle to escape when caught in a fisherman’s net. Proper use of TEDs reduces the number of turtles caught in shrimp nets by as much as 95% and is required to be used by any shrimp fishery that sells to the U. S and to other countries that support the protection of sea turtles. Read more...(494 words, 2 images, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)
Marlin fishing is considered by many game fishermen to be the pinnacle of big game fishing, due to the size and power, relative rareness and difficulty of capture. In Costa Rica, fishing for the striped, blue and black marlin fishing season is year round and why the country is becoming the hot place to fish for these big gamers.
Marlin has been billed as the battler of literature and legends. Author Ernest Hemingway, so loved the marlin that he wrote about it. The Old Man and the Sea, one of Hemingway’s most famous works, centers upon Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin.
In past years, it was a customary “trophy” carcass hung in offices and seen in fishing magazines and executive office-wall photographs. However, that has since change in Costa Rica. Costa Rica was the first country to practice the catch and release program, and other conservation programs, like the banning of billfish meat. And because of this, an angler’s bragging rights have been reduced to nothing but videos or photos. A Costa Rica marlin will rarely be hung on some wall or cut up into steaks. Only on rare occasions will the fish be brought in and that is usually when the fish is dying due to a tail hook up (causing drowning) or the hook has some how damage the fish. Read more...(814 words, 1 image, estimated 3:15 mins reading time)
According to Carter the Silver-Rod-O was fishing around a school of spinner dolphin for yellowfin tuna and billfish, when the helicopter from La Rosa Mistica began circling the area.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tourism is Costa Rica’s top industry and new research shows North Americans traveling there in 2008 to fish generated $599 million – or about two percent of Costa Rica’s gross domestic product.
