Sandra Bessudo-Courtesy
Colombian conservation groups are outraged by the incursions of Costa Rican fishing boats in the protected area of Malpelo Island, on the Pacific coast.
Éxito 1, a Costa Rican boat, was detained on October 18th with 1.2 tons of illegally caught fish such as white shark, albacore tuna, black marlin, among other species. In addition, 800 kilos of cocaine, which apparently were being taken from Colombia to Central America, were found in the boat.
Sandra Bessudo, conservationist and member of Malpelo y Otros Ecosistemas Marinos foundation, reiterated through an official publication that illegal fishing is a crime that threatens food security and multiple species.
According to the Colombian Navy, the ship had several irregularities: it set sail with an expired permit, the crew was not the appropiate for the ship, the navegation certificate had expired, the staff related to the departure did not match with the people found in the ship and they did not have permits to navigate Colombian waters.
6 people, among them 5 Costa Ricans, were arrested.