Cancamo
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Posts: 345
Registered: 4-5-2011
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The beginning/end of the end.
Two years ago there were 3 of these vessels working out of San Carlos, BCS. This year there is as many as 14. At first they harvested sardines, until
they were gone. They then targeted mackerel, which numbers have drastically diminished, as evidence in the dwindling fall striper and mackerel show on
the coastal Pacific out of Magdelena Bay. Now they are harvesting anything and everything they can feed into the ovens in the San Carlos plant to burn
and produce fertilizer. Much of the fertilizer to grow corn, to feed to cattle. More recent reports have these destroyers of the food chain sailing
far north in BCN now, searching yet farther to feed the ovens. If you still have sardines and mackerel where you live, it is just a matter of time
before they arrive in your waters, and the local fish stocks are affected.
The local pangueros are devastated watching their livelihood and their way of life, and that of their children/grandchildren, go away right in front
of their eyes. Needless to say the hook and line escama fishery, (marketable scaled fish), has diminished to the point that many now are only able to
target shark and lobster, all for export.
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck documents the rapid collapse of the California sardine fishery from similar overfishing. When the base of the food chain
is removed, everything else follows suit.
Not that long ago, going fishing for me meant easily catching some sardines, or mackerel, dropping them down to the bottom, or fly lining them on your
favorite spot, and inevitable success would follow. We didn't even carry lures most of the time. You located the sardines easily by following the
numerous feeding pelicans. Out on the open water you located the surface feeding target fish by finding the many frigate birds circling over the
migratory pelagics.
I haven't seen or caught sardines in any number in at least five years, mackerel much longer. The ever present flocks of pelicans cruising up and down
the beaches are gone. Frigates now are far and few between. It's all gone away, and fast! Birds are an indicator, and their lack of presence says it
all.
Gill nets as well are responsible for the diminished inshore fish stocks. Catching dinner at the beach out front was guaranteed, usually in short
order casting a lure, or soaking some bait. Not anymore.
Permits both for the fertilizer plant, (big, big money), and the local gill nets are obtained and regulated, (or not), for the benefit of few at the
expense of many and their way of life. Responsible commercial fishing and sport fishing and all the support commerce it generates can be sustainable
and would generate a living income for all involved, if given a chance.
As resilient as mother nature is, I am fearful it is too late to recover what we had just 10-15 years ago. Those of us that remember the mostly
foreign long liners that worked the coast at night would attest that the bill fish have never really recovered since then. All you need to do is look
at the historical catch record of the tournaments over the last 20 years.
Humans as a species have the ability to right a wrong, but human nature, (greed), gets in the way of better judgement, usually to benefit the few.
Sorry for the doom and gloom, but without facing reality, and awareness there is no hope.
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chippy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1697
Registered: 2-2-2010
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Yup!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VScSEXRwUqQ
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4166
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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Baja has a long history of exploiting resources to the bitter end
Indians
pearls
whales
lichen
clams
tuna
water
in other countries the ones getting rich doing so at least left some stuff behind
opera houses 'theaters
memorable buildings
Baja is used like a cheap woman who doesn't even get paid
Harald Pietschmann
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 977
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
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The beginning/end of the end.
Hola Cancamo,
thank you for such a great write up,
we all need to followup with posting on different websites, not just on fishing websites.
this illegal practice was also done in the sea of cortez and was fought by pangeros and fishing outfits over ten years ago and the big netters were
kicked out and with penalties and confiscation or boats and gear.
i believe it resulted in a bill called SHARK NORMA ?
devastation of bait will drive away birds and fishermen destroying a way of life and commerce wherever the netters go.
thank you for making us aware of this next fiasco,
BIEN SALUD,
DA RAT
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17338
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Everybody has a diff point of view. I know many people that moan about overfishing destroying the oceans, but same people vehemently deny
anthropogenic climate change.
I know commercial fishermen that moan about their dieing fish stocks, but they continue to scrabble for every last fish possible before quota is
reached, because they are in a race to harvest, and they cant see their own industry is killing itself.
All of earth is connected.
Too many people acting on their own selfish motives.
We are all doomed!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4166
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: happy - always
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Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  | Everybody has a diff point of view. I know many people that moan about overfishing destroying the oceans, but same people vehemently deny
anthropogenic climate change.
I know commercial fishermen that moan about their dieing fish stocks, but they continue to scrabble for every last fish possible before quota is
reached, because they are in a race to harvest, and they cant see their own industry is killing itself.
All of earth is connected.
Too many people acting on their own selfish motives.
We are all doomed!
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wow - there is a sensible soul behind the bitter front
Harald Pietschmann
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surfhat
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Posts: 494
Registered: 6-4-2012
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At the same time, there is hope when some Baja fishing co-ops choose to limit their catches so the future of fishing in their waters will be there.
Juan Arce in BA and few others have shown the wisdom that fish stocks can be preserved. They are hero's in my book.
This does not take into account the large commercial fleets that have no loyalty other than the peso.
If these co-ops can keep the large commercial fleets away, that is a big if, maybe some of the Baja we all have come to love can survive for future
generations. Well, I suppose one can dream.
I used to regularly and often see large schools of fish off the East Cape. I saw less of them up to a couple of decade ago. They were quite dynamic at
times and full of action for birds and predators alike.
Diving into schools of fish? Just who is the bait? haha gulp.
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Cliffy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 984
Registered: 12-19-2013
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Are the days of chasing dolphin pods in a panga and tossing lures for yellowfin tuna gone in BoLA? :-( (rhetorical question)
You chose your position in life today by what YOU did yesterday
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FishNTodd
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: 4-23-2023
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Wow, that's really sad to hear about the overfishing and its effects on local fish stocks and the environment. I wonder what measures can be taken to
reverse this damage?
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Paco Facullo
Super Nomad
Posts: 1301
Registered: 1-21-2017
Location: Here now
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Mood: Abiding ..........
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The two major problems are overpopulation and corporate & human greed...
I've been saying for the past few decades that what this world needs a good pandemic that would wipe out 85% of mankind.
(Think Georgia Guidestones )
Too bad the last one wasn't the ONE.
Humans are like locusts on this earth, ravaging it's natural resources.
In a perfect scenario, everyone over the age of 40 would perish.
Sounds brutal, but better than most of the world starving from lack of food.....
There's a saying " Most people die at 29 , but aren't buried till 79"
Since I've given up all hope, I feel much better
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Cliffy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 984
Registered: 12-19-2013
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Or maybe man is part of the earth's natural evolutionary process.
A process where only the strong survive
Much like the Woolly Mammoth - adapt or die out.
There was, many decades ago, a movie that supported your philosophy-
It was titled- "LOGAN'S RUN"
But you'd have to be over 40 to have seen it.
You chose your position in life today by what YOU did yesterday
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5819
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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I was also thinking of that movie, but couldn't remember the name of it!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17338
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo | The two major problems are overpopulation and corporate & human greed...
I've been saying for the past few decades that what this world needs a good pandemic that would wipe out 85% of mankind.
(Think Georgia Guidestones )
Too bad the last one wasn't the ONE.
Humans are like locusts on this earth, ravaging it's natural resources.
In a perfect scenario, everyone over the age of 40 would perish.
Sounds brutal, but better than most of the world starving from lack of food.....
There's a saying " Most people die at 29 , but aren't buried till 79" |
Are you volunteering to commit suicide? You might be able to make some money doing that, sell tickets (money for your kids). People are weird, they
will pay to watch live performance like that.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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DouglasP
Nomad
Posts: 320
Registered: 6-23-2018
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Mood: Goat hunter.
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| Quote: Originally posted by Cancamo |
Two years ago there were 3 of these vessels working out of San Carlos, BCS. This year there is as many as 14. At first they harvested sardines, until
they were gone. They then targeted mackerel, which numbers have drastically diminished, as evidence in the dwindling fall striper and mackerel show on
the coastal Pacific out of Magdelena Bay. Now they are harvesting anything and everything they can feed into the ovens in the San Carlos plant to burn
and produce fertilizer. Much of the fertilizer to grow corn, to feed to cattle. More recent reports have these destroyers of the food chain sailing
far north in BCN now, searching yet farther to feed the ovens. If you still have sardines and mackerel where you live, it is just a matter of time
before they arrive in your waters, and the local fish stocks are affected.
The local pangueros are devastated watching their livelihood and their way of life, and that of their children/grandchildren, go away right in front
of their eyes. Needless to say the hook and line escama fishery, (marketable scaled fish), has diminished to the point that many now are only able to
target shark and lobster, all for export.
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck documents the rapid collapse of the California sardine fishery from similar overfishing. When the base of the food chain
is removed, everything else follows suit.
Not that long ago, going fishing for me meant easily catching some sardines, or mackerel, dropping them down to the bottom, or fly lining them on your
favorite spot, and inevitable success would follow. We didn't even carry lures most of the time. You located the sardines easily by following the
numerous feeding pelicans. Out on the open water you located the surface feeding target fish by finding the many frigate birds circling over the
migratory pelagics.
I haven't seen or caught sardines in any number in at least five years, mackerel much longer. The ever present flocks of pelicans cruising up and down
the beaches are gone. Frigates now are far and few between. It's all gone away, and fast! Birds are an indicator, and their lack of presence says it
all.
Gill nets as well are responsible for the diminished inshore fish stocks. Catching dinner at the beach out front was guaranteed, usually in short
order casting a lure, or soaking some bait. Not anymore.
Permits both for the fertilizer plant, (big, big money), and the local gill nets are obtained and regulated, (or not), for the benefit of few at the
expense of many and their way of life. Responsible commercial fishing and sport fishing and all the support commerce it generates can be sustainable
and would generate a living income for all involved, if given a chance.
As resilient as mother nature is, I am fearful it is too late to recover what we had just 10-15 years ago. Those of us that remember the mostly
foreign long liners that worked the coast at night would attest that the bill fish have never really recovered since then. All you need to do is look
at the historical catch record of the tournaments over the last 20 years.
Humans as a species have the ability to right a wrong, but human nature, (greed), gets in the way of better judgement, usually to benefit the few.
Sorry for the doom and gloom, but without facing reality, and awareness there is no hope.
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Several of these vessels prowling in and around Bahia Concepcion right now.
I like beer, better than most people.
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surfhat
Nomad
Posts: 494
Registered: 6-4-2012
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Out near the mouth of GN's lagoon, there is a tower manned by soldiers looking for any errant fishing trawlers scavenging the fish populations.
I spent a few days out there years ago when a private camp operator set up some really nice large tents on raised wood platforms. Shari helped supply
their clients before she got her own operation going.
It was a very cool spot and felt even more safe because of the contingent of armed solders manning the observation tower.
One could slog their way through the soft sand out to the ocean and the lagoon boat trips were very close to an area at the mouth where many gray
whales were known to spy hop and boy, did they ever? We saw multiple spy hopping going on when we ventured out of the mouth.
Anyway, I would hope other such observation towers manned by soldiers all over Baja are looking out for outlaw trawlers scooping up everything they
can. The amount of waste they create is appalling.
The commercial fleets effect on the local fishing coops is devastating and yet, a few coops are being proactive and limiting their yearly catches in
favor of having a future in fishing. They are to be applauded.
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Cliffy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 984
Registered: 12-19-2013
Member Is Offline
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AKgringo-
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
Alas my first grade report card (still have it) says almost the same thing-
"Could do better if he applied himself"
Maybe we had the same teacher :-)
Back to the program at hand-
If we think we can return to the glory days we'd better give that a new "think"
Its no different than inland fishing looking back 100 years or even 50 years-
Walker Lake in NV had a huge population of cutthroat trout in the late 1800s so much so that commercial fishing cleaned them out in about 20 years.
Even June Lake in Calif Sierras had an average of 5 lb rainbow trout fishing in the 20s THATS 1920s not 2020s - but no more.
Unrestrained commercial fishing has through history killed off much of the food stocks of the world. Its not the recreational fisher that is the
problem.
The world has to be fed and food will be supplied. Its the basic law of all living things - food and water.
The question remains - What will happen WHEN the world's population doubles (and it will at some time)?
How will we feed the world then?
THAT is a much more realistic question than Global Warming
The world can and will survive a warming cycle just like it has over millions of years but can it survive a doubling of the human population?
Inquiring minds want to know.
You chose your position in life today by what YOU did yesterday
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BajaNomad
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Thread Moved
5-1-2023 at 02:59 PM |
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