Between 2021 and 2024, the Directorate of Fishing and Aquaculture Regulations (Dipsca) did not make the charges of the fines that were imposed against tuna vessels, who failed to land at least four times a year in national ports, as ordered by article 75 of the General Fishing and Aquaculture Law.
During a summons with the deputies of the will, opportunity and solidarity (you), the current director of Dipesca, Moroccan Estrella justified that not making the charges was the responsibility of the previous administration, and explained that they currently began to make the charges and assured that they are still in “evaluation” to determine if they present complaints.
During this period the director of Dipesca was Julio Lemus, who is currently the delegate before the organization of the fishing and aquaculture sector of the Central American STISM (OSPESCA), of the subgroup of highly migratory species. During the summons the deputies questioned that Marroquín gave Lemus a 98 points, as part of his evaluation in the agency for being in charge of inspections.
“It is contradictory licensed. On the one hand, he tells me, I look I have an administrative disaster, I have no records, I cannot fine, I can not sanction, because those people who directed dipesca of the previous administration did not leave me data, and then we came to see that Julio Lemus is one of the managers, ”questioned the deputy chief of the José Chic bench.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, Maynor Estrada, who went to the citation said that he ordered to move from the management to Lemus while completing an administrative process, however, since Monday he began enjoying 60 business days of vacation, according to Marroquín. In addition to Lemus during the period where the fines were not charged, Carlos Marín was in office, according to the authorities.
Dipesca has currently authorized four licenses for boats dedicated to the capture of tuna, of which two are foreign and two national flags, but only one vessel last year complied last year with the four landings. Guatemala has a quota of 9 thousand tons of tuna today, however, according to deputies, fishing does not reach the country, but goes to Panama or Ecuador.
Each tuna tuna is sold in the market between US $ 1,500 and US $ 2,000, today. Article 81 of the General Law of Fisheries and Aquaculture, in the third recidivism of some infraction, will proceed to cancel the fishing license of the offender, so the deputies consider that these licenses must be canceled