There is no doubt that Cost Rica contains images of rainforest, beautiful beaches, great sport fishing and a peaceful country. But recently there were clashes between fishermen on the high seas. The commercial fishing boats locked horns with tourist sport fishing boats on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. Last month there were three incidents reported which nothing but a shameful act because ocean covers 2/3 of the planet but it seems not enough.
According to a source the incidents occurred between several sport fishing boats carrying tourists and large seiner commercial fishing boats. The seiner boats, which are much larger, use large nets to encircle and then trap large numbers of fish at one time. These seiners sometimes use helicopters as spotters to help search out large schools of fish like tuna, mackeral, and sardines. It is said that one of these helicopters was dropping explosives all aournd a sport fishing boat that was fishing the same school tuna.
Then next day a large seiner circled and entangled seven sport fishing boats for over an hour near the Los Suenos property in Jaco. That seiner, flying a Nicaraguan flag, was actually working for a Panamanian company at the time. Carlos Villalobos, head of INCOPESCA, reviewed the various photos and video footage of the incidents and is said to have ordered an official investigation to see if criminal charges can be pressed against the guilty parties.
