Mexico Fines 2 U.S. Tuna Boat Skippers, Makes Them Buy Back Their Fish, Gear

SAN DIEGO â€”  Owners of two Southern California tuna boats were fined Friday by the Mexican government and forced to pay approximately $55,000 to buy back their fish catch and fishing gear, after the vessels were seized in Mexican territorial waters off the Baja Peninsula.

Bob Pringle, owner of the 100-foot bait boat Karen Kristie of San Diego, said he and the other owner were cited because their boats were inside Mexico’s 12-mile limit without a fishing license. Pringle had to pay a total of more than $37,000 in fines and costs for his boat’s bait nets, poles and 70-ton catch of yellow fin tuna.

“I’m so sick about the fish,� Pringle said. “It’s a lot of money.� He said that having to pay the Mexicans $470 a ton for the fish will eat up profits from the five-week fishing trip.

“I can see paying a fine, but not buying the fish back when the fish weren’t even caught in Mexican waters,� Pringle said.

Anton Stanojevich, captain and co-owner of the 150-foot purse seiner Laurie Anne of San Pedro, also had to pay an undetermined amount in fines and costs to buy back his vessel’s nets even though there were no fish on board.

Stanojevich’s costs were all the more hurtful because he was caught inside Mexico’s waters while acting as a good Samaritan for the Karen Kristie.

The tuna boats were seized Feb. 21 in the Pacific 70 miles north of the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Low on fuel and returning to San Diego, the Karen Kristie signaled the Laurie Anne to transfer 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel so the Karen Kristie could reach home port.

Because of rough weather, the transfer of fuel could not take place on the open seas. Instead, the boats sought out Mexico’s sheltered territorial waters. Mexican naval vessels apprehended them and the boats were escorted into La Paz, capital of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, where they were held under armed guard until Friday.

“All we were doing is getting fuel to come home,� Pringle said. “Actually he (Stanojevich) got more of a rotten deal than we did� for doing the Karen Kristie a favor.

However, the name of the Laurie Anne immediately sent up red flags for Mexican fisheries officials, said a source close to the negotiations this week in Mexico City for the release of the two boats.

In July, 1983, the Laurie Anne was one of the last U.S. flag fishing vessels seized for violating the 200-mile territorial limit that Mexico claimed. Such seizures helped extend the U.S. ban on imports of Mexican tuna, which was not lifted until 1986, said August Felando, head of the American Tunaboat Assn.

Pringle said the Karen Kristie, which left La Paz on Friday afternoon, will take about 5 1/2 days to return to San Diego.