Confiscated Fishing Boat Out Of Fuel, 280 Tons Of Tuna To Be Lost

Confiscated Fishing Boat Out Of Fuel, 280 Tons Of Tuna To Be Lost
Wednesday 13 August 2008, San José, Costa Rica
Since January of this year the tuna fishing boat Tiuna, with its 280 tons of tuna, has been anchored off the coast of Puntarenas while its owners await a decision on the future of the vessel, after it was found illegally fishing off the shores of the Isla del Coco in the Pacific ocean.

Thanks to a refrigeration system that has been operating constantly, the ships cargo has been kept on ice. However, that could all end soon as the ship is expected to run out of fuel at any moment, meaning the 280 tons of fish will become spoiled.

The state agency Incopesca has the responsibility to keep the ship supplied with diesel fuel to run the refrigeration system after a Tribunal de Puntarenas (court) ordered the vessel in the care of Incopesca on February 8.

According to Victor Herrera, lawyer for the owners of the fishing boat, who is accusing Incopesca for not supplying the fuel required.

Herrera said that once the boat runs out of fuel, the owners don't have the money to buy more to keep the refrigeration system running, which will mean the cargo will spoil within 48 hours or less.

The court ruling obligates Incopesca to supply the boat with fuel while it continues tied up legally, but according to Herrera, it never did and the owners have paid out some one million dollars, money that the courts have ordered Incopesca to reimburse.

Herrera said that on Friday the ship run out of fuel, when the owners purchased an additional 2.000 gallons, which is expected to be used up by today or tomorrow and don't have the money to buy more.

In addition to the loss of the merchandise, Herrera said the waste will become a environmental hazard.

Incopesca, headed by Carlos Villalobos, had no comment.