The following report was received by TBF today via Gary Carter:

On Sunday, Aug 1, 2010, at approximately 3:00pm, while fishing less than 20 miles offshore of Garza, Costa Rica, the US flagged sportfishing vessel Silver-Rod-O was attacked by the Venezuelan tuna seiner, La Rosa Mistica. 

The Silver-Rod-O was fishing around a school of spinner dolphin for yellowfin tuna and billfish when the helicopter from La Rosa Mistica began circling the area. We were celebrating one of our guest's first-ever sailfish releases, when the seiner veered from its course and headed directly toward our boat. The helicopter then began making passes over us, as it circled the dolphin school. As the seiner came closer and began setting its net, the helicopter started dropping incendiary devises around us and the school of spinners. Several landed within 50 meters of our boat and there was smoke billowing from the water in all directions. We were determined to continue fishing the area and not yield our position, but the seiner headed straight toward us, threatening to either encircle us in their net or be plowed into the sea unless we abandoned the school of dolphin. Rather than endanger our guests, we retreated and watched and listened as the La Rosa Mistica closed the net and its crew obnoxiously celebrated it's victory.

What makes this most concerning is that the La Rosa Mistica is Venezuelan and is one of the several tuna seiners reportedly owned by Hugo Chevez. It was not flying a flag, except for the US flag painted on the side of its helicopter. 

This is certainly not the first encounter of its type in Costa Rican waters, but it's time that something is done about it. 

I am sending this to you in hopes that you can and will use your influence to help. 

With personal regards,

Gary Carter