In October 2024, it was reported in a citation of the VOS bench in the Congress that Guatemala has an annual fishing fee of 9,400 cubic meters and that the licenses granted to seven companies had been granted years ago but that no boat had a Guatemalan flag, so that the species that is captured in the economic zone was destined towards Panama and Ecuador.
As indicated in that citation, that the Maga through the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations (Dipsca), had seven dealers for capture in the Pacific and two for the Atlantic, with its proper boats, and that they have the obligation to make four product deliveries in Guatemala, but that some did not comply.
On that occasion, the then Vice Minister of Agricultural Health and Regulations of the Maga, Marissa Montepeque, confirmed that these vessels had not delivered the product in Guatemala, so they have been sanctioned with fines, whose procedures date from between 2021 and 2023, but that have been exonerated when requesting withdrawal.
Meanwhile, during the present week, the Maga reported that the Vice Minister resigned from the position for personal reasons, whose resignation was effective on February 24, according to the bulletin issued by this institution.
A day later, on February 27, a document supposedly issued by Montepeque circulated, where it is noted that this resignation was not voluntary, but that the Minister of Agriculture, Maynor Estrada, forced her to present her, because she did not agree to the request of him, who together with other officials wanted to take the license from a company to grant it to another.
Asked about the reasons for the resignation of the exviceminist, he said that they are very personal issues and particular situations close to their family environment, so that the information belongs to it because it is very private because “they are issues more than all of a personal nature and linked to their family environment.”
It was tried to contact Montepeque, but has not responded to the calls, messages and request for information to confirm whether or not the document issued with the alleged accusations. However, Estrada declared that he would not issue an opinion about the content because it is an apocryphal or anonymous document that has no signature.
He added that the exviceminist spoke to him on Thursday morning, which announced that he was very affected and assured him that he had not participated in the elaboration of that document and that he had had nothing to do with it.
The official mentioned that Montepeque told him that he was emotionally quite affected because he felt very offended taking into consideration that they put it in question with him. Estrada indicated that, to give statements to the media, he called the former official to consult him if he authorized to make public what was discussed in this regard, because he had been “a very personal talk with her” and that he had no impediment to why he considered that it was very appropriate for the minister to make that clarification in his name.
Estrada added that “I will not refer to what is expressed in that apocryphal, anonymous document and with many falsehoods.”
They will move licensed to another vessel
Asked about the public complaints that were announced in Congress in the citation since October 2024, that some companies with non -Guatemalan flag ships were being favored and that now it was sought to open space to the mentioned Spanish plant.
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He said they have been cited several times by a bench where they have been questioned about tuna licenses.
He explained that tuna fishing is done in international waters and not in national waters, an aspect that is regulated by the International Tuna organization, which assigns the fees to the countries.
He added that in August 2024 the license for a vessel was expired, which had not fulfilled the provisions of the Fisheries Law to make the four deliveries product to the country and that it had not complied with the payment of the fines imposed by that breach, so it was decided no longer to renew it.
He explained that the company was notified which carried out the corresponding legal administrative procedure, presented the reviews and various legal actions to reverse that decision, and that the case reached the Constitutional Court which at the end of January 2025 determined that the quota is sovereign of the country and that it belongs to it by what it can dispose of it.
Estrada explained that based on that resolution they maintain their position not to renew the license and in the next few days they will move the quota to the other boat that has a Guatemalan flag, whose company tuna with Spanish capital has invested in the country, especially in Puerto de San José and that has a plant in Escuintla.
The quota will be 1,900 cubic meters, which include the 1,200 that had authorized the overdue license, a fee that recovered the country, and around another 600 that were left over.
Who will investigate?
The minister said he asked the National Commission against Corruption (CNC) to investigate the procedure to grant fishing licenses, a case that, according to Estrada, could even involve some officials within the Ministry.
“That is part of all the work we are doing, I believe that right now it would be to advance facts that can to some extent affect the process, but I think the most important thing is that we have come to put order,” said the minister.
Asked the CNC responded this week that he followed up the accusations after the citations in Congress last October, but stated that by legal mandate, he cannot investigate those cases, and that within the executive agency it is the institutions themselves that must develop the investigations through the instances of probity issues and their control bodies, although he said that the commission can provide accompaniment.
License, boats and investment
From this week the first boat with Guatemalan flag for tuna fishing will be will have.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Maga) decided to grant in the next few days the license for the Sant Yago Uno boat, of the Central American Atunera Industry Company, for a quota of 1,900 cubic meters.
The company’s manager (a Spanish capital company installed in the country), Guillermo Rodríguez Mahuad indicated that the boat is a Guatemalan flag and expect that this Friday, February 28, the magician delivers the license, which will allow them to start making the tuna capture.
It currently generates 600 direct jobs, and 3,600 wages are reached.
The Executive said that an investment of US $ 60 million is being made that includes two boats with national flag, Saint Yago Uno and Sant Yago Tres, a fishmeal plant, vitamin module, and two floors for the production of fresh vacuum loin, and a generator of wind energy.
The average price per ton of tuna in the market is around US $ 2,000.
Rodríguez explained that the Guatemalan fishing law establishes in its article 25 that hauling fees in the Pacific Ocean, only A can be granted to Guatemalan flag ships, however, he assured that since 2005 the enthusiasts have been granted to non -Guatemalan ships, but to Ecuadorians and Panamanians.
The theme is complex and the Inter -American Tuna Tuna Commission (CIAT) is the organ that governs the control of the existence in the Pacific Ocean, said explaining that there was recently an availability of 600 cubic meters of tunids, but the quota froze and the CIAT has not been notified. He pointed out that the case has been extended because other parties have used legal resources to be able to appropriate the quota.
He added that the Maga authorities recovered that share for Guatemala and required that CIAT will be notified, but for various reasons it has not been managed, so the file is stranded.
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Rodríguez Mahuad said that those who hinder the authorization of quotas are very organized because they presented a review resource and in two days they were granted an amparo so that there are many involved.
A quota that does not enter Guatemala represents a sanction of US $ 30 thousand and is for law to leave four during the year, he added.
He recalled that the plant located in Escuintla has been paralyzed for a period of up to 60 days due to the lack of raw material.
It has been calculated that the five ships that have Guatemala share obtain income for about US $ 150 million and do not enter any tuna, nor has any other industry developed.
He reiterated that, in the case of Costa Rica and El Salvador, they have a quota of that country, they are forced to deliver all the fish so for Guatemala it must be the same.
“What has been done? The truth is that we should ask the exviceminist what are the results there,” said Rodríguez Mahuad.