Seven Sportfishermen Caught By Tuna Boat

[localangler]

Apparently seven sporties were intentionally circled up by a purse seiner off of Los Suenos in Costa Rica. They were held inside the nets for a period of time and harassed by the tuna boats. WOW I am surprised no shots were fired unless guns are not allowed in the country. That looks like kidnapping and potentially attempted piracy. Captain to the mate "Prepare to repel the boarders, and run the jolly roger up underneath Old Glory." Hope the commercial boat gets what she deserves. There is a video on the link showing that it was not just a drunken crew making this up. Two of the boats were US flagged.

Tuna Purse Seiner Threatens Costa Rican Sportfishing Fleet |


If that links video doesn't work here is the youtube link:

YouTube - Purse seiner harassing Anglers

[FairWeather]

Wow.. that's pretty crazy...

Ummm Guns, yes I'm surprised they were not used!!!

[Redweiser]

Commercials are starting to take their toll in Costa Rica, that's why we moved up to Guatemala ... 2 x better.

[TunaTeaser1]

Apparently that is a Hugo Chavez funded operation as well....Sending the boat up from venezuela. With no gvt, costa rica isn't doing anything about it but hopefully this video will help. I believe a couple of those boats were from the maverick fleet (spanish fly, etc...) so they weren't amateurs here. They were scouted out fishing over tuna by the chopper and seiner moved in for the kill...when the guys didn't move they surrounded them. There are also reports that crew of the seiners did brandish weapons. Crazy stuff that needs to be resolved!

[localangler]

I've also read that the chopper dropped explosives from near the sporties but didn't see it in the video. If the tuna boat makes a habit of attempted piracy I hope the US Navy happens to be doing exercises in the area on day when they surround another US vessel.

[Sea Deuce]

Maybe we need to send an aircraft carrier escorted by a destroyer down in those waters. That'll put an end to this nonsense.

[CanCanCase]

That sort of thing actually happens all the time here in Alaska... Not quite to that extreme, but I was surrounded by a seine just last week while trolling for salmon right in the main channel downtown Juneau.

Take a look at some of the sac roe herring fishery that goes on near Sitka... granted, it's commercial boats netting each other, but when they find a school of fish, all he** breaks loose and I've seen boats sunk when they couldn't get their nets untangled fast enough.

Life in different parts of the world!
-Case