Belizean law enforcement officers caught two Hondurans Illegally fishing in the Glovers Reef atoll on Tuesday. So, tonight, they are spending their first night of a 6 month sentence after appearing in Magistrate's Court today.
The officers who police the Atoll caught them after they began conducting nocturnal patrols. They found evidence that fishing was being conducted in the area, and since they didn't encounter anyone during the day, they figured someone was fishing after daylight hours.
This evening, the Fisheries Department's Conservation Compliance Unit's Supervisor explained more about the patrol which caught the men:
Hampton Gamboa, Supervisor - Fisheries Department
"The operation took place on the 14th July, which was on Tuesday in the night at Glover's Reef Marine Reserve out at the atoll. It was a night operation. Officers from the marine reserve was on routine patrols and they came across this Honduran vessel which had two occupants in it, who were engaging in commercial fishing."
"The officers normal procedures they undertook which is to approach a vessel, identify yourself and then inform the occupants of the vessel of their purpose there to conduct a search. While conducting the search and gathering information from the individuals found on the boat, from their identification and so on, they realize that there guys were illegal fishers within Belizean waters. They are Hondurans from Puerto Cortes who were conducting illegal fishing within Belizean waters. As a matter of fact, they were on the atoll, which means they were well within Belizean territorial waters."
"They had a variety of fin fish, primarily snappers, jacks, mackerels or "bonitos" which would normally be used for baits and so on. The total catch was estimated at 100 pounds and the average price for fish right now is $4 - $5 a pound, so you are looking at about $500 dollars. They have been brought to mainland Belize here yesterday. They were all detained by fisheries and we also called in our other agencies such as immigration who came in, took their particulars. We had them placed in the holding block at the Queen Street Police Station. They went to court this morning and they were ordered to pay a fine and a removal order from the country."
"There are a number of reasons why these guys at Glover's Reef decided to do night patrols, because of information they have received as well as observation. What happen is earlier on this year and previous years at the spanning bank, we came across some suspected stuff, in terms of the Nassau Gropers Spanning Bank out at Glover's Reef - things like lines, things like anchors and so on, whenever the divers from our country go out to do the diving at the site, which has led us to believe that these guys are coming in after hours at night."
The accused men, Pedro Martin Martinez and Luis Alonzo Dubon Banegas, who are both 36 year-old Honduran Nationals were charged with illegal fishing and illegal entry. They were arraigned today before Magistrate Ladonna John.
They wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the offences of engaging in commercial fishing without a valid fisherman license and using a commercial fishing vessel without a valid boat license. The magistrate sentenced them to pay $2,000 each in fines, forthwith, which they couldn't do, and so tonight, they are at the Prison. They will serve 6 months in jail, and after that, they will be deported back to Honduras.
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