Puntarenas - If some fishing industry insiders refer to the overexploited and under-regulated eastern Pacific as the "Wild West" of fisheries, then this tiny Costa Rican port city must be the OK Corral.

A Tico Times investigation seeking to explain how three tons of unattached - and undeclared - shark fins could have escaped the oversight of five government agencies has raised more questions than it has answered, as officials from each agency offer different explanations of how $2.1 million in shark fins could have just disappeared (TT, June 13, July 11, 18).

Closed gates and high walls guard scores of private docks lining the northern edge of this city, which occupies a sandspit that sticks out from Costa Rica's Pacific coastal mainland. Because they are private property, gaining access to these docks while ships are unloading is nearly impossible.

Although Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MOPT) officials have declared these docks unauthorized for the landing of products by foreign vessels, a recent Tico Times visit confirmed that the practice continues.

In response to ongoing investigations by the Costa Rican Sea Turtle Restoration Project (PRETOMA) and The Tico Times, MOPT officials last week issued a decree requiring all foreign vessels to be received in Puerto Caldera, where they are visually inspected and approved before continuing a few nautical miles north to unload their cargo - on the private docks.

The Tico Times tried to gain access Tuesday to the public dock in Caldera to observe the inspection of two Taiwanese vessels by officials from the Pacific Port Authority (INCOP), Customs, Immigra-tion and the Ministry of Agriculture, but was informed that prior permission from the INCOP directorate was required, making a surprise visit to the public dock impossible.

The only official allowed to grant this permission, according to a secretary who refused to give her name, was "in San José" and could not be reached by phone. Through his secretary, INCOP Caldera Sub-Director Nestor Aguirre refused to speak with a Tico Times reporter, both by phone and in person.

In fact, almost no one was willing to discuss on the record how the Taiwanese-built vessel Goida U Ruey No. 1, flying a Panamanian flag of convenience and carrying a Taiwanese crew, was able to illegally unload three truckloads of shark fins May 31. A declaration report for that day, signed by four government agencies except Customs, makes no mention of the fins.

When a Tico Times reporter visited the private dock of Inversiones Cruz, where Coast Guard official Manuel Silva said the Goida U Ruey had unloaded the fins, a young dock worker - who did not give his name - referred all questions regarding the landing to "Roger" at "the other Inversiones Cruz" dock. The dock worker gave directions to a different private dock and processing plant owned by Mariscos Wang, S.A., where the Tico Times could not gain access.

Mariscos Wang representative Fabio Wang did not return a message left with a secretary on Wednesday.

The ship's official cargo declaration, prepared by the private agency Aduamar, S.A., reported 50,000 kg of whole shark and made no mention of unattached fins. No customs official signed the document.

Last week, Carlos Vargas, sub-director of the customs office in Caldera, told The Tico Times that inspections of foreign fishing vessels' cargo by customs officials depends on a random system, and the office lacks sufficient personnel "to visit every ship."

Following the new MOPT regulations, customs inspector Haiti Alvarez received in Caldera at least two of three Taiwanese fishing vessels scheduled to arrive Tuesday. Although Alvarez said the ships were scheduled to unload their cargo at Mariscos Wang, she said she did not know which - if any - customs official would inspect the unloaded cargo.

"I don't know whose turn it is (to inspect the unloaded cargo) - it's not mine," she said. Asked who could answer the question, she told a Tico Times reporter to consult with Roberto Rodríguez, owner of the private agency Aduamar.

"Only he knows - I don't know," she said.

Following a June 27 criminal complaint filed in San José offices of the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) by environmentalist María Elena Fournier, the Puntarenas Prosecutors' office has launched a full investigation of the case, a spokeswoman for the office acknowledged.

Among the issues two investigating prosecutors will look at, said the spokeswoman, are the destination of the fins, their estimated black-market value (to determine if tax evasion was committed), as well as the possible implication of public officials in illicit activities.

"INCOPESCA is responsible for overseeing the compliance with fishing regulations," said Prosecutors' Office spokeswoman Sandra Castro. "The investigation will determine if any INCOPESCA officials should be held criminally responsible."

Last week, Coast Guard official Silva told The Tico Times that on June 1, he notified INCOPESCA official Ana Salas of the anomaly. Salas said she notified INCOPESCA President Ligia Castro days later.

The Tico Times attempted to speak by phone with Castro on Wednesday as she met with other INCOPESCA directors. However, when The Tico Times called her office later - per Castro's request - a guard said she did not return to her office after the meeting's conclusion.