FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Randall Arauz, President
TEL:  +(506) 241-5227
FAX:  +(506) 236-6017

Sixty Percent of Foreign Shark Fishing Vessels not Inspected by Costa Rican Customs

September 23, 2004 - San Jose, Costa Rica
Of the 20 foreign shark fishing vessels that arrived to Puntarenas, Costa Rica in August 2004, 12 were allowed to land without receiving the required Customs inspection. 

A Customs official signature is missing o­n the arrival declaration paperwork of these 12 vessels. 

This represents a clear failure by Customs to perform the required inspection of foreign vessels that land products in Costa Rica. 

Costa Rican Customs regulation RES-AC-GER-253-2004 requires that a Customs official be present at the arrival of foreign vessels in order to place a seal upon the hold of the vessel.  This seal can then o­nly be removed when the vessel eventually lands its products. 

"If no Customs official was present when these 12 vessels arrived, then nobody put the seal o­n the hold," says Jorge Ballestero, Vice President of PRETOMA.  "We are talking about a complete lack of control."

"Furthermore, even when a Customs official does place a seal o­n the hold, Customs still allows these foreign vessels to land at private docks, against Article 212 of the National Customs Law which says the private docks may not receive foreign vessels," continues Ballestero.  "Once the seal is removed, the vessels can land hundreds of tons of shark fins behind the walls of private docks."

The owners of these private docks, who are directly connected with the Asian shark fin trade, can deny access to any government inspector at any time.

Over 600 tons, or 70% of the products landed by foreign vessels in August, were shark products, according to vessel paperwork recently obtained by PRETOMA. 

"The two current Customs policies represent a complete lack of control," says Ballestero.  "Firstly, there are no Customs officials present when foreign vessels arrive, and secondly Customs allows foreign vessels to land products at private docks in violation of Customs Law."

A solution long recommended by PRETOMA is to require that foreign vessels land at the public dock, Terminal Pesquera, which is authorized by Customs Law to receive foreign vessels landings.  Requiring this would eliminate the need for the costly system of placing seals o­n the hold because vessels could arrive, land products and be inspected all at o­ne location.  This would also ensure that inspectors have free access to inspect vessels and products landed. 

"This is the logical solution which is in fact already required by the existing Customs Law," states Ballestero.