Mexican Fish/Game bust

http://www.mexfish.com/fish/totoa/totoatony.jpg

Tortuava is protected species..along with turtles.

Totoaba

Here's a citation on the subject:

Conservation Biology
Volume 9 Issue 4 Page 806 - August 1995
doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.09040806.x

Life History and Conservation of Totoaba macdonaldi

Miguel A. Cisneros-Mata, * Gabriela Montemayor-L?pez, * and Martha J. Rom?n-Rodr?guez

We conducted a literature review on the biology, ecology, fishery, and protection of totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi), an endemic, threatened fish of the Gulf of Calfornia, Mexico. Reinterpretation and integration of published and unpublished information enabled us to confirm and estimate specific biological parameters of the totooba, make hypothetical constructs of its life history, and to propose ideas for its preservation. In specific, we found (1) that the mean age of first reproduction of male and female totoaba are 6 and 7 years, respectively; (2) that the intrinsic rate of natural mortality was estimated as 0.268 per year and (3) that in the mid 1980s an estimated 120,300 juveniles died each year in the shrimp fishery by-catch and 6200 adults (26 kg average weight) died due to poaching. The parameters of an individual growth model for juveniles and adults were also estimated. Decreased spring water input from the Colorado River into the Gulf of California may have caused a contraction of the spawning season and a reduction of the carrying capacity of juvenile totoaba. An increase in annual survival during recent years indicates recovery of the stock that might be related to protection of adults. We argue that habitat restoration, which includes the elimination of growth and recruitment over-fishing, is critical to increasing numbers of totoaba, and thereby lifting the fishing ban, and to the delisting of totoaba.

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gringorio

Capt George...same netting is still happening here in Bahia de Concepcion...a maritime park, no less. Outside in the Cortez, it is business as usual. Take as much as possible in the quickest time and the hell with tomorrow. Well, there is not much left. The tortuava are gone, the snook are gone, the pompano are mostly gone, the list grows every year. Our bay is eerily silent these days when you go diving and listen for the old creaks, croaks, and grunts of underwater life. One day soon, we will be talking of the days when you could actually catch a fish out there on rod and line. Shucks, now I went and put myself into a grumpy mood...thanks a lot, Jorge!

Amen, Capt. George----you sure got that right!!!