Although the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP) banned tuna fishing, the Authority is still to meet this week to set the fines that they will apply to the boats caught fishing tuna.
|The tuna fishing ban for purse seine vessels in Panamanian waters was the measure taken by the Panamanian government, through the 2010 Executive Decree number 239, to promote responsible tuna fishery, as well as the conservation of marine areas.
However, although the 48 tuna-fishing vessels flying the Panamanian flag have been fully informed about the ban, a spokesperson for the ARAP reported that the fines that will apply have not yet been established.
According to ARAP’s spokesperson, ARAP will meet this week to establish the regulations and announce the penalties that will be imposed to those vessels who are caught fishing for tuna by means of purse seining.
The official said the sanctions will depend on the type of tuna and the weight of each individual specimen.
The ARAP, charged with regulating fisheries, announced that for the moment what they will do is confiscate the tuna from the vessels which persist on fishing with purse seiners.
SUSTAINABILITY
The complete closing of the purse seine tuna fishing in Panamanian waters is an important step to helping the sustainability of the resource that is characterized precisely by ignoring boundaries, and tuna species that are shared regionally.
The tuna industry in Panama can now only fish with longliners. Due to the high demand abroad, all product caught by industrial tuna fishing vessels is exported.
The tuna consumed by Panamanians is often caught by artisanal fishermen.
