[PUP] SPECIAL WARNING NUMBER 124. NICARAGUA

[LA Licata]

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's released the following  
Special Warning to Mariners today June 10, 2008.

SPECIAL WARNING NUMBER 124. NICARAGUA.

1. MARINERS OPERATING SMALL VESSELS SUCH AS YACHTS AND FISHING BOATS  
SHOULD NOTE THAT NICARAGUA HAS BOUNDARY DISPUTES WITH ITS NEIGHBORS
IN BOTH ITS CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC WATERS, AND SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION.

2. THE CARIBBEAN WATERS LYING GENERALLY SOUTH OF THE 15TH PARALLEL  
AND EAST OF THE 82ND UP TO THE 79TH MERIDIANS ARE SUBJECT TO A  
CURRENT DISPUTE BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COLOMBIA.

3. THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE HAS DELIMITED A NEW MARITIME  
BOUNDARY LINE AWARDING MARITIME AREAS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF NICARAGUA  
PREVIOUSLY CLAIMED BY HONDURAS ABOVE THE 15TH PARALLEL AND APPARENTLY  
EAST OF THE 82ND MERIDIAN.

4. THE NICARAGUAN NAVY IS PATROLLING PORTIONS OF THIS MARITIME SPACE,  
ENFORCING THE REQUIREMENT THAT FISHING VESSELS HOLD A VALID NICARAGUAN
FISHING LICENSE, AND HAS SEIZED VESSELS NOT IN COMPLIANCE.

5. THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE NICARAGUAN AUTHORITIES HAVE SEIZED  
FOREIGN-FLAGGED FISHING AND OTHER VESSELS OFF THE NICARAGUAN COAST.  
THE GOVERNMENT OF NICARAGUA IMPOSES HEAVY FINES ON PARTIES CAUGHT  
FISHING ILLEGALLY WITHIN WATERS OF NICARAGUA'S JURISDICTION.

6. WHILE IN ALL CASES PASSENGERS AND CREW HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITHIN A  
PERIOD OF SEVERAL WEEKS, IN SOME CASES THE SHIPS HAVE BEEN SEARCHED,  
PERSONAL GEAR AND NAVIGATIONAL EQUIPMENT HAS DISAPPEARED, AND  
NICARAGUAN AUTHORITIES HAVE HELD SEIZED VESSELS FOR EXCESSIVE PERIODS.

7. PROMPT U.S. EMBASSY CONSULAR ACCESS TO DETAINED U.S. CITIZENS ON  
NICARAGUA'S CARIBBEAN COAST MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF DELAYS IN  
NOTIFICATION DUE TO THE RELATIVE ISOLATION OF THE REGION.

8. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTED INCIDENTS OF PIRACY IN CARIBBEAN AND  
PACIFIC WATERS OFF THE COAST OF NICARAGUA, BUT THE NICARAGUAN NAVY  
HAS INCREASED ITS PATROLS AND NO RECENT INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

9. CANCEL SPECIAL WARNING NUMBER 95.//