By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received this morning via email: "I will be fishing in Panama this coming april. I would like to know the amount of fish that I can being home with me to the US. Also, the species such as tuna, gouper, etc. Thank you. LNS."

Excellent Question: However, I have no friggin' idea as to what the answer might be. I have no idea if it's even possible to transport fresh fish back to the United States from Panama in a cooler or whatever. I know there are restrictions on things like meat and produce for example. I'm hoping maybe a professional fishing guide or someone who has already been down this road might know the answer. It's an important issue for those who spend big bucks to charter fishing trips in Panama as tourists. These people leave a lot of money behind, mostly because the fishing is great down here. If you're a professional or a charter and you provide the correct answer, I'll include a link (freebie) to your page. So, please provide the response in the comments section below - enlighten us, Obi Wan Fish Snatcher... Thanks.

I Got The Answer: I just spoke to Capt. Lee from the Panama Big Game Fishing Club. He said it's legal to bring home frozen fish in a cooler, but you can't use any dry ice or fresh ice. You just freeze the fish solid and it keeps itself cold. Lee said there's really no limit as to the amount of fish you want to bring back beyond the weight limits established by the airline - and whatever you bring back in fish weight counts against your baggage limits, obviously. Lee also said anyone who really wants to do this should check with the airlines first because the rules and regulations are changing constantly. But in the end, Lee said there are very few people who end up bringing fish back to the United States with them, that most choose to let the fish swim away to fight another day.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - A commercial fishing vessel was caught by officers of the National Environmental Authority and the National Police of Veraguas, performing work within the protected waters of the Coiba Island National Park. Jeremiah Aguilar, the Regional Director of the ANAM, said the breach of this rule is considered to be a serious offense, so the fishing boat and its crew were taken to Puerto Mutis in Montijo, yesterday afternoon, and then charges will be formulated according to the number of species caught. (Dia a Dia)   

Panama's National Aero Naval Service (SENAN) seized two fishing boats and arrested five people this morning because they did not have the proper permits and equipment required for fishing, in the sector of La Maestra, between Chimán and Chepillo island. Both vessels were 27 feet long and have 75 horsepower motors, and were surprised by three SENAN boats, which proceeded to inspect them and then turn them over to the Maritime Authority of Panama, which will apply the corresponding sanctions. The crews of the ships Teresita III and Doña Totosita said they engage in artisan fishing, but they did not have the necessary equipment and permits, so they are being held at the port of Coquira in Chepo. A few days ago the SENAN detected a Costa Rican fishing vessel illegally fishing in Panamanian waters. (El Siglo)   

A maritime patrol conducted by the National Naval Air Service in the waters of the Coiba National Park, a protected marine area of Panama, detect a vessel that was fishing illegally and without the required permits. The boat, named "Rolando", came from Costa Rica. More than 8,000 pounds of fish were discovered on the boat. The fishermen were taken to Puerto Mutis, in the province of Veraguas, and were turned over to the authorities. (Telemetro)

   

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- Customs inspectors have found nearly a half ton (421 kilos) of shark fins cut illegally from protected hammerhead sharks. Customs director Gloria Moreno de Lopez said Friday that the fins were found at Panama's international airport in a shipment labeled as dried fish. She says the container originated in Ecuador and was bound for New York City. Environmental organizations say shark fins are prized as a delicacy, and overfishing is putting many hammerhead sharks at risk of extinction. Fishermen who harvest the animals typically cut off the fins and toss carcass back into the sea. (AP)   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - So, want to go fishing with these guys? Hop into an ocean kayak, paddle right up next to a sea cliff where the waves are crashing, and throw a hook and line overboard. These guys also hooked into a 300 pound marlin off of the coast of Mexico (on 20 pound test) and they actually managed to land the fish across two kayaks. Anyway, there are lots of ways to go fishing, and I thought you might enjoy this video...

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

NOAA today submitted a report to Congress identifying six nations – Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Panama, Portugal, and Venezuela – whose fishing vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2009 and/or 2010. This opens the way for continued consultations between the U.S. government and each of the nations to encourage them to take action to stop IUU fishing by their vessels. In this report, NOAA also announces that the six previously identified nations (China, France, Italy, Libya, Panama, and Tunisia) have addressed the instances of illegal fishing described by the United States in the 2009 report to Congress. These nations applied penalties to the vessels in question or adopted laws to strengthen control of their fishing fleets or both. Each has received a positive certification as a result of their actions.

The nations identified in today’s report had fishing vessels that did not comply with measures agreed to under various international fishery management organizations, such as closed fishing seasons, vessel registry lists, and a ban on the use of driftnets. Other violations included illegal gear modifications, fishing without authorization, and possession of undersized bluefin tuna. While Italy and Panama took corrective actions for illegal fishing identified in the 2009 report, other vessels from these countries still engaged in IUU fishing, which included illegal use of driftnets and fishing in an area when it was closed to purse seine nets.

If a nation fails to take appropriate action to address the instances of illegal fishing described in the report, that nation’s vessels may be denied entry into U.S. ports and the President may prohibit imports of certain fish products from that nation or take other measures. “We are encouraged that the nations identified in 2009 have taken significant actions to address illegal fishing by their vessels, and we are now reaching out to the six countries identified in today’s report,” said Russell Smith, NOAA deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries. “Illegal fishing must be stopped as it subjects our fishermen to unfair competition and undermines efforts to sustainably manage the valuable fish stocks around the world that so many communities depend on for food and jobs.”

Annual global economic losses due to IUU fishing are estimated to be as high as $23 billion. Today’s decisions follow two years in which NOAA’s Fisheries Service, working with the U.S. Department of State, conducted extensive outreach at bilateral and multilateral meetings to inform fishing nations of potential U.S. actions to combat IUU fishing. NOAA is addressing the problem of IUU fishing through the international provisions of the U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act. The act amends the High Seas Driftnet Moratorium Protection Act, which requires the United States to strengthen international fishery management organizations and address IUU fishing activities and the unintended catch, or bycatch, of protected living marine resources. Specifically, the Moratorium Protection Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to identify those foreign nations whose fishing vessels are engaged in IUU fishing, and what actions those nations have taken to end the practice.

Today’s identifications of countries will be followed by consultations to urge these nations to adopt effective measures to combat IUU fishing. Following consultations, NOAA will formally certify whether each of the six nations have addressed the IUU fishing activities of their vessels. The latest report to Congress also includes information on multilateral efforts to improve stewardship of international marine resources. To read the report, go to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2007/intlprovisions.html NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Find us online and on Facebook.   

MEXICO - Since 18 November and until 18 January 2011, commercial fishing of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus orientalis) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) is prohibited in federal waters of the Pacific Ocean. The temporary ban on fishing, established by the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), also applies to Mexican-flagged vessels operating on the high seas and in foreign waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). The ban affects the vessels in the area bounded by the coast of North America, Central and South America and by the following lines: the parallel of 40 degrees north latitude from the coast of North America, to its intersection with the meridian of 150 degrees west longitude, the meridian of 150 degrees west longitude to its intersection with the parallel of latitude 40 degrees south and the latter parallel to its intersection with the South American coast.

Excluded from the ban on tuna are fishing rod boats and those participating in recreational sports. Moreover, the Conapesca resolution temporarily prohibits Mexican flagged purse seiners fishing for tuna in these high seas and foreign waters which are in the area regulated by the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

Purse seine vessels flying the Mexican flag whilst carrying a capacity of between 182 and 272 metric tonnes will be allowed to conduct a fishing trip up to a maximum of 30 days during the closed period, provided they have a scientific observer on board during the trip.

According to statistics from CIAT, from 1 January to 3 October 2010, Mexican vessels captured 104,362 tonnes of tuna. The Ecuadorian fleet fishing in the same period, caught 104,477 tonnes, Panama 47,868 tonnes, Venezuela 26,237 tonnes, among others.   

(AFP) PANAMA CITY — Illegal fishing and climate change are decimating shrimp and lobster populations in Central America, threatening a two-billion-dollar industry and 136,000 jobs, regional experts said Thursday. "Pollution and warmer waters are impacting our species," especially shrimp and lobster, said Central American Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors (OSPESCA) regional director Mario Gonzalez. "The Pacific shrimp population, Panama excluded, has fallen dramatically" because of overexploitation and decreasing rainfall in Central America over the past decade, "which depletes the nutrients they feed on," the expert said. The lobster population is also in jeopardy of disappearing altogether, he added. Illegal fishing is also taking its toll, Gonzalez said. "Of the total amount delivered to fish processing plants, approximately 20 to 30 percent is illegal or undersized," said the OSPESCA official. Underreported catches compound the problem, Gonzalez said. "You can say that in Central America 50 percent of our (fishing) production goes undeclared or not reported, not only by private fishermen but also by large fisheries," the expert said. The dire situation has been brought to the attention of regional governments. "There's a regional policy (on fishing), but it's just included in documents which have to be turned into action in order to better manage our fish stocks," OSPESCA interim president Diana Arauz told AFP. As a first step, officials said, Central American Integration System members -- El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama -- have recently banned lobster fishing from March 1 to June 30 in hopes the species can make a comeback. Lobster and shrimp fishing in Central America employs some 136,000 people and brings in 1.985 billion dollars a year -- 4.1 percent of the regional gross domestic product, OSPESCA and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report.   

To preserve the lobster in the Caribbean, the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP) announced yesterday a ban on lobster fishing and marketing which will last four months, until 30 June 2010. For the first time, most of the countries of Central America are simultaneously participating in this initiative - Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama have all put bans on lobster fishing in place. Panama adopted Regulation OSP-02-09 for the Regional Land Use for lobster fisheries in the Caribbean to help promote its sustainability. (Source: Panama America)

Editor's Comment: You can do your part. If anyone tries to sell you bug between now and 30 June, don't buy it.