Why is ANAM going after this guy?

Capt. Tom Yust has been fishing the waters around Coiba for fourteen years. In that time he as brought tourists to Panama who have spent more than $5.7 million dollars in the country, combined total. Now, ANAM has decided to start enforcing a law that's been on the books since Feb 2005, and they did so in a relatively ham-fisted manner. I spoke with Capt. Tom Yust again this morning. He called me from Coiba Island, and he had to stand on one leg and face east in order to get a signal for his cell phone, but we were able to communicate (with some difficulty.)

Capt. Yust's concern is that he has tourists booked for fishing trips for the next five weeks, and ANAM has possession of most of his fishing equipment, valued at over $10,000. His other concern is that he is basically "stuck" out on Coiba and without communications. As soon as he climbs down off the hill and gets in his boat, he can not make or receive telephone calls.

He wanted to reiterate his position that he simply wants to be a good neighbor on Coiba. He feels he has more interest than most in protecting the marine environment in the area. He really does not understand why the agents from ANAM have singled him out. He said ANAM has issued exactly two fishing permits under the new law (Law 44 of 26 June 2004). He also stated that while the agents from ANAM were inspecting his boat and confiscating his equipment, that another boat pulled in that also had been fishing without a permit. He was baffled as to why they wanted to inspect his boat, and not the other boat that was right there.

Capt. Yust repeated several times that he recognizes his part in the mix-up, and that he just wants to pay whatever fine might be coming his way and move on. He will certainly be following the law to the letter now that ANAM is actively enforcing around Coiba.

After the phone call from Capt. Yust, I called Lic. Harley Mitchell Morán, the Chief of the Legal Office for Panama's National Authority on the Envorinment (ANAM) and spoke with him about this case. Lic. Mitchell was aware of the situation that took place on Coiba on Saturday with Capt. Yust, but he still had not received the official report from Veraguas, so he really could not comment on the facts of the case.

Lic. Mitchell explained to me that when the report is filed, Capt. Yust would have an opportunity to respond with his side of the story. I relayed Capt. Yust's concerns about his equipment, and, to his credit, Lic. Mitchell said he would call the ANAM office in Veraguas to see if it would be possible to have Capt. Yust's fishing equipment returned while the investigation takes place.

You should know that over the last 14 years, Capt. Yust has brought in more than $5.7 million dollars in tourist spending, and all of that money has been spent in Panama, in the interior, and in a relatively remote region. He has the full support and backing of the local mayor, representative, and congressman, all of whom are actively petitioning government officials in Panama City on his behalf.

Hopefully, Lic. Mitchell will be able to have Capt. Yust's equipment returned to him in the meantime, especially considering he's fully booked with tourist fishing trips for the next five weeks. The paperwork will flow in due course, but Capt. Yust isn't going anywhere.

Again, this is just a simple case of a failure to communicate. ANAM is now starting to strictly enforce the laws that protect the habitats around Coiba, and good for them. They just need to work out a few of the details regarding execution. And, if they are going to enforce the law, they should enforce it equally and for everyone.