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.
Mexican and Columbia drug cartels pretty much know that controlling Central America’s coastal waters is a key factor in streamlining the flow of illegal drugs into the US and so they have offered “Big Bucks” to those that will help them.
To control the waters, one much control who knows those waters. And that is the local fishing fleet. Obviously since day one, has been the link between fishermen and drug traffickers, which makes perfect financial and strategic sense.
Commercial fishermen have always come and go as they please; it is hard work, with little pay. And for as little as $500, to deliver a few barrels of fuel, food and water to some drug smuggles boat makes it a very nice fishing bonus at days and/or nights end. And of course dropping off 100 kilos of cocaine to be distributed to the local drug trade does help with the petty cash flow to keep families feed and roofs over the house.
With this major connection between local fishermen, government is seeking steps to combat this, and one of the first steps is setting up a satellite tracking system this month to monitor all the country’s fishing fleet in order to help in the fight against drug gangs operating along its coasts.
The system supposedly will be supervised by INCOPESCA, but according to one of our sources, the US warships will play a major roll in this high-tech surveillance as they do with AWACS surrounding the Florida waters.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), says, Costa Rica experienced a sharp rise in drug-related activities in 2009. The DEA also reckoned that in 2008, at least 1,270 tons of drugs reached Mexico from South America, with 67 percent of those shipments passing through Central American waters.
“The idea is to monitor and detect the movements of vessels which might be collaborating with the drug traffickers,” said Incopesca’s Executive Director Luis Dobles in EFE, adding that this was part of the government’s efforts to “protect Costa Rican society from this terrible scourge”.
Obviously going with satellite tracking allows authorities to monitor and pinpoint the location of any vessel regardless if it is flying the Costa Rica flag or not. In other words, those foreign tuna trawlers, who have register to fish in Costa Rica’s EEZ, will also be tracked.
Dobles claimed in some type of media release, their tracking will only be on vessels over 65 feet.
We all know this is total, “Bull Sh*&,” considering the drug trade operates fast, small and cigar shape boats. Anything over 65 feet common radar will target it.
Satellite tracking and imaging is so high-tech now that it can take photos that read what brand of cigarettes the deckhands and/or smugglers is smoking and what vessels are loading and unloading sixty miles from shore
… you can almost bet, the touristy sports fishing industry will also be monitored.
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