Conservation in the Sea of Cortez August 6, 2008

The issue of conservation of one of the worlds’ greatest natural resources is becoming a more desperate one as time goes by without it being seriously addressed. The over commercial fishing, and sport fishing without concern or enforcement of limits have each done their share. “Well, this place ain’t what it used to be,” says the old timer, “we used to take 100 dorado a day.” It is a virtual haiku for the ongoing destruction, bemoaning a problem that ironically he is both victim and perpetrater of, seemingly oblivious to his role. The lone commercial fishermen in his panga, hand lining fish with single hook lines, is not the bad guy here. Like his sport counterpart he could not have finished off the seemingly infinite supplies of fish that once roamed the Sea of Cortez. He and the pistoleros, hunting the reefs at night with compressors and spear guns is capable of finishing off the last remnants of the once vast populations, but they are merely following behind the parade, sweeping up the droppings. The most effective weapons in the destruction of the main body of the fishery are the long line and purse seine boats. Their nonselective slaughter of all that frequents the waters, fish, turtles, and birds, has reduced the fish populations to near critical levels. Recent legislation in Mexico, under the guise of shark “protection”, has opened up more water to more long lines, an estimated 2 million hook increase, that’s on a daily basis. As well as putting more hooks in more water, this legislation, for the first time in recent history allows the liners to sell fish previously reserved for sport fishermen, the oft talked about “by catch” , which you would recognize as dorado and marlin. These species have for years been restricted to sport boats, and while this has not kept them from being sold illegally, it has controlled it to some extent. With the advent of the Norma 029 and it’s loosening of commercial restrictions on the sale of dorado and marlin, coupled with the collapse of the shrimping industry in the Sea of Cortez, due to over fishing, the populations are facing a double threat that cannot be ignored. Shrimp boats, converted from their previous functions to working as mother ships to fleets of 30 local pangas using long lines for dorado pose perhaps the coup de grace to the fishes of the Sea of Cortez. The 1200 hook long lines, left out for hours at a time, have replaced the old 100 hook models, but are taking only marginally more fish than the old lines were taking 10 years ago, a sure sign of the ongoing decimation. Dorado are shipped not only throughout Mexico, illegally, but are shipped by the 10’s of tons, illegally, to the United States on a three times a week schedule from locations like Guaymas. It’s lookin’ pretty bad.

What can you do? I have currently joined a group of local sportfishing folks who are ready to go to battle over this. The strategy and tactics are being worked out now, and I will let you in on the plan as it becomes the right thing to do. For now I would ask you to contact the Billfish Foundation, and make any donations that you can to their Mexican support fund. This money will be used to begin our fight. As it becomes appropriate we will ask for your support, monetary and physical through emails and phone calls. Stay tuned to this spot for updates.