A surveillance operation by the Colombian Navy 127 kilometers from the island of Providencia allowed the arrest of a Nicaraguan-flagged lobster boat traveling in the Quitasueño River.
The ship, named “Cap Loo”, was intervened by personnel of the San Andrés and Providencia Specific Command, who confirmed the existence of More than 180 kilograms of illegal fishing on boardaccording to the institution.
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The proceedings began after the boat was discovered engaging in unauthorized fishing activities within a Marine Protected Area (MPA). According to the Navy During the inspection, five people of Nicaraguan nationality were found, as well as nets, special equipment and various marine animals.
The seized resources included 154 kilograms of lobster, five kilograms of egg-shaped lobster, 13 kilograms of sea cucumber, six kilograms of stingray fins and four kilograms of king crab.
The operation was not limited to the discovery of the products. The crew and the confiscated fish were transferred to the ARC Providencia ship and handed over to the relevant authorities on the island of San Andrés. The verification process was accompanied by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Coralina Corporation and Migration Colombia.
Also confiscated from the scene were items such as an air compressor, a 300-meter-long hose, masks and handmade hooks, tools that reflect the organization of the illegal activity.
According to Lieutenant Commander Julián Díaz, Commander of the Coast Guard of San Andrés, “the Colombian Navy, through the specific command of San Andrés and Providencia and the Coast Guard of San Andrés Island, is carrying out, as part of the development of control and surveillance operations, the discovery and subsequent survey and inspection of a vessel with five people on board of Nicaraguan nationality. Fishing resources and fishing gear were found inside the vessel.”
The Quitasueño bank, where the operation took place, is among the areas designated for environmental protection under the Coralina Agreement No. 002 of 2019which aims to protect the biodiversity of the archipelago department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. This shore is designated as a nature reserve due to the richness of marine species and its high ecological value.
In a statement, the military institution reiterated its commitment to protecting the biosphere reserve sea flower and in supporting the region’s sustainable fishing community.
The investigation continues as authorities investigate the captured group’s possible connection to illegal fishing nets and step up surveillance in protected areas in Colombia’s Caribbean Sea.
To this case comes another similar operation in which the authorities confiscated more than 200 lobster tails and arrested five citizens, also of Nicaraguan nationality, for illegal fishing activities in the Colombian territorial sea, precisely on the island of Cayo Quitasueño.
The operation was carried out after Colombian fishermen informed authorities about the presence of a foreign vessel in the area. San Andrés Coast Guard units discovered the lobster boat named “Miss Isamar” with the Nicaraguan flag and five crew members on board. With the support of the Oceanic Patrol Vessel ARC Victoria, the interdiction procedure and onboard visit were carried out.
During the inspection, 67 kilograms of lobsters and sawfish, one kilogram of egg-shaped lobsters – i.e. in the reproductive stage – and various items used for fishing such as compressors, hand-made harpoons, masks, fins, depth sounders and nine fuel canisters were found.
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