Port Authority Denies Allegations of Extorting Mariners

The Belize Port Authority (BPA) has firmly rejected allegations that authorities are ripping off mariners on the sea. The allegations are tied to the recent Legacy of Champions International Fishing Tournament held in Roatán, Honduras. Media personality Jorge Aldana told a local news station that monies were being collected during the departure and return of vessels, but the transactions were not properly documented, and receipts were not given. Ports Commissioner Kaylon Young told our newsroom that an investigation was conducted, and he has receipts to prove that everything was done above board.

Kaylon Young, Acting Ports Commissioner: “Upon arrival, all vessels must be boarded by government agencies, which includes Port Authority, Health, BAHA, Customs and Immigration. We did board these vessels as we are obliged to do and do our proper inspection, have the proper documentation available, signed and collect the fees as is regulated by the Belize Port Authority tariff regulations. We are governed by the tariff regulations that determines how much we can charge for vessels depending on their size and tonnage. Guided by those regulations we did charge the required fees and issue government receipts. The response yesterday was just to clear the air because the Belize Port Authority does not condone these kinds of activities for its officers. For that to be out there saying that all government agencies, including the Belize Port Authority, is ripping off our customers and not issuing government receipts that was alarming. And we just wanted to clear the air that this is not what we do here at the Belize Port Authority. We are here for safety. We are here to ensure that the mariners are complying with regulations and to ensure that our waters are safe. The vessel in question that was being referred to left from the San Pedro Port. Our officers in San Pedro did all the documentation and submitted that to the BPA. We have all documentation. We have copies of the clearance certificate, copies of the crew list that they submitted to us that they were leaving. I have here in front of me the boarding report when they came back in, signed by our officer and by the master of the vessel, the clearance certificate when they departed, the crew list, the zarpe that when they came back, the last port also gave them a clearance because that’s standard international practice. So the clearance that they got from the last port from Honduras they presented to us, we have copies of that as well.”

Notably, BPA records show that Aldana was not a vessel master but rather a crew member listed on the manifest of one of the participating vessels. Young said that it was important for the BPA to set the record straight to reassure the public that their fees are being accounted for properly and encourage compliance.