BajaNomad

Aquacultue in Ensenada

Gypsy Jan - 4-19-2008 at 04:16 PM

Today, on PBS, the Gourmet Magazine show, "Diary of a Foodie", featured Sergio Guevara, the first person to sucessfully farm black Mediterranean mussels in Mexico in a non-harmful and sustainable way.

He is a very convincing and articulate representative.

I looked for a link to the story on http://www.gourmet.com/ but didn't find one.

DENNIS - 4-19-2008 at 04:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
Today, on PBS, the Gourmet Magazine show, "Diary of a Foodie", featured Sergio Guevara, the first person to sucessfully farm black Mediterranean mussels in Mexico in a non-harmful and sustainable way.


He must be responsible for what seems to be thousands of blue and white barrels floating off-shore near Punta Banda. So many that they are a hazard to navigation and the field of floats keeps growing.

Cypress - 4-19-2008 at 05:05 PM

There are a lot of circular net/pens not far of the beach in the vicinity of Rosarito. They might be tuna pens?:?:

DENNIS - 4-19-2008 at 05:08 PM

Probably so. I didn't know they were that far north. The closest pens I'm aware of are at Salsipuedes.

Cypress - 4-19-2008 at 05:25 PM

Dennis, About those pens. I'd say you're right about the pen locations. Thanks for the correction.:bounce:

Roberto - 4-19-2008 at 06:19 PM

There are pens at the Coronados, but I doubt you can see them from shore. :biggrin:

Muscle Beach

Bronco - 4-19-2008 at 09:04 PM

I have used the launch ramp for years where the mussel company is located at Rincon. This is not the first time I have noticed a large semi loading containers of Styrofoam boxes approx 12 to 15" taped shut. One of the workers told me they shipped by way of San Felipe and then to the states. The operation seemed well organized and appears successful compared to other companies that have lost the battle to harvest tasty delights from the bay.

Paulina - 4-19-2008 at 09:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
Today, on PBS, the Gourmet Magazine show, "Diary of a Foodie", featured Sergio Guevara, the first person to sucessfully farm black Mediterranean mussels in Mexico in a non-harmful and sustainable way.


He must be responsible for what seems to be thousands of blue and white barrels floating off-shore near Punta Banda. So many that they are a hazard to navigation and the field of floats keeps growing.



If you took the time to count them all, you'd be amazed. It seems like every time we're there they have increased in numbers. One barrel did come loose not too long ago and washed ashore. The muscles I sampled off of that barrel were quite tasty. I would have gone back for more if we weren't heading south the following day.

P<*)))><

bajabound2005 - 4-19-2008 at 10:43 PM

we pulled some of those mussels off the beach once (off the Punta Banda spit), they were AWFUL...full of sand and no recovering from that! They'd washed up and the sand was just part of the product by then!

The tuna rings off of our side of the bay of Todos Santos seem to be "dry" at the moment....haven't seen a boat around them in a couple of months. Haven't seen the seiners in the bay for same amount of time?

[Edited on 4-20-2008 by bajabound2005]

Tuna "ranching"....

Photog - 4-20-2008 at 12:54 PM

Researchers Assessing Tuna Aquaculture in Mexico

NARRAGANSETT—Tuna farming in large nearshore net pens is expanding rapidly along Mexico's Baja-Pacific coast, driven by increasing U.S. and Japanese demand for the farmed tuna, which are reportedly higher in oil content and thus desirable for sushi.

Unlike closed-systems aquaculture, where fish are bred from captive stock, fed formulated feeds, and reared in captivity, Mexican tuna farming operations are ranches and use wild caught fish for stocks and feeds. If these practices are done correctly, Mexico could serve as a global center of excellence for evolving an environmentally and socially sustainable tuna farming industry.

Researchers from the United States and Mexico are undertaking an assessment of the tuna farming science, practices, governance, and social issues to determine recommendations on best practices and methods needed to develop successful and economical captive reproduction, feeds, and non-polluting systems for tuna farming.

Funded by the Packard Foundation, researchers Barry A. Costa-Pierce, director of Rhode Island Sea Grant and professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the University of Rhode Island; Charles Yarish, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut; and José Zertuche, professor of marine botany at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Norte Ensenada, Mexico, along with associates, are assessing tuna and sardine stocks along the southern California, northwest Baja, and Gulf of California coasts; examining aquaculture practices and networks; and evaluating governance and social issues associated with this “capture-based” tuna farming.

“The Japanese demand for bluefin tuna is at an all time high, and tuna is the second-most popular seafood in the United States. Tuna capture fisheries have decimated Atlantic stocks, and, while tuna fisheries in the Pacific are in much better shape, the trends towards increased fishing of Pacific tuna stocks are alarming. It is urgent we develop an internationally credible scientific basis for sustainable tuna farming that could decrease pressure on tuna tocks, while also being environmentally and socially sustainable,” Costa-Pierce says.

http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docaqua/news/hswri_news_sept07-1.pdf

http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/news/2006/tuna_aquaculture_asses...

http://www.stamford.uconn.edu/biology/tunaaquacultureresearc...

http://www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?contentid=8715

Don Alley - 4-20-2008 at 02:14 PM

I'm skeptical that capturing and fattening wild caught tuna will have any benefit to tuna stocks.

There is nothing in this practice that suggests it in any way would replace other "traditional" methods of capturing and processing fish. And if the penned fish are fed from wild caught baitfish stocks, that's more pressure on other fisheries.

But it is a newer way of doing things, and in today's world any new way of exploiting natural resources for profit comes complete with a "sustainability" argument, rubber stamped by some corporate funded foundation and universities hungry for their grant money.

Sustainable wild stocks?

Sharksbaja - 4-20-2008 at 02:25 PM

Why does this sound so fishy?
Because it is.
-----------------------

Sustainable industry
If tuna growers in Mexico were to make the transition from ranching to true farming, they could serve as a global center of excellence for evolving an environmentally and socially sustainable tuna industry. Dwindling wild stock would not be depleted, and there would be less potential for diseases to spread via viruses affecting wild tuna.
“The Japanese demand for bluefin tuna is at an all-time high, and tuna is the second-most popular seafood in the United States. Tuna capture fisheries have decimated Atlantic stocks, and, while tuna fisheries in the Pacific are in much better shape, the trends toward increased fishing of Pacific tuna stocks are alarming,” says Costa-Pierce.
“It is urgent that we develop an internationally credible scientific basis for sustainable tuna farming,” he adds, “that could decrease pressure on tuna stocks, while also being environmentally and socially sustainable."
-------------------------
Earlier post
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I certainly have reservations about harvesting/seining two year old tuna for the pens.
As with so many Corporate entities involved....good luck on an honest assessment. We all know strings are made to be pulled.

Don't worry though, by the time they research this to death, they will already have an answer. It will be obvious inj so many years. Just like in the N. Atlantic.

Ranching fish is WAY different than farming. Looking at our success(not) with salmon, I simply do not/will not trust either the research findings nor the sponsors. JMHO.

It doesn't surprise me at all that the rings are idle in BCS.

It wont' be too long before I says again, "I told you so".:(

SiReNiTa - 4-21-2008 at 05:50 PM

exactly why we need nature loving aquaculturists...like mua!!!
the circle pens are tuna pens where they deposit the tuna when it's small so that when it's time to sell they will be a good size...
there has to be a more controlled habitat for them tho...
since boats and all go through there it could contaminate the water unless they run tests every week or two...

fishbuck - 4-21-2008 at 10:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SiReNiTa
exactly why we need nature loving aquaculturists...like mua!!!
the circle pens are tuna pens where they deposit the tuna when it's small so that when it's time to sell they will be a good size...
there has to be a more controlled habitat for them tho...
since boats and all go through there it could contaminate the water unless they run tests every week or two...


I don't like the pens. It has become difficult to catch a bluefin from San Diego on the long range boats. I see the seiners and pens out deep when I do go out.
But at least we will have someone there now who can clue us in so that's good. You're right Sirena, we need the nature loving kind and not the money loving kind.
My suspicion is that some of those pens have yellowfin and maybe albies too. But that's only because that's what I would do.

Pescador - 4-22-2008 at 07:18 AM

If anyone thinks that Pen Reared Tuna are healthier then they need to talk to the fisheries scientists in British Columbia that have discovered that penned salmon are an ecological disaster. First of all, the concentration of waste in a small area is major problem for all of the other species living in that area. Secondly, they net all of the food supply with sardines and herring which means that the tuna are not chasing and eating a portion of the foodfish, but instead whole schools are caught in nets and fed to the tuna. This has a tendency to destroy the "natural selection" of fishfood stocks which seems to lead toward a general genetic weakening of those stocks. You would think these guys were educated by the same geniuses that brought rabbits to Australia.:no:

DENNIS - 4-22-2008 at 07:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pescador
First of all, the concentration of waste in a small area is major problem for all of the other species living in that area.


It is said, by those who go down and look around, that the ocean floor beneith the pens is as devoid of life as the bottom of a toilet.

Taco de Baja - 4-22-2008 at 07:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
Today, on PBS, the Gourmet Magazine show, "Diary of a Foodie", featured Sergio Guevara, the first person to sucessfully farm black Mediterranean mussels in Mexico in a non-harmful and sustainable way.

He is a very convincing and articulate representative.

I looked for a link to the story on http://www.gourmet.com/ but didn't find one.


Non Harmful?

What happens when they escape and compete for the same territory at the native mussels Mytilus spp. and other intertidal species.

Some think there is no harm, but you have to wonder, Why use Mytilus galloprovincia and not a common, and NATIVE, mussel off the Baja and California coast like the California Mussel Mytilus californianus or the less common, but still native, Bay Mussel Mytilus edulis??? Could it be because Mytilus galloprovincia grows faster?, reproduces faster?

Not good

Here's what happened in South Africa when some Mytilus galloprovincialis were introduced:
Quote:
In the late 1970s the Mytilus galloprovincialis invaded South African coast. It was intentionally introduced for the purpose of aquaculture. It arrived in South Africa and occupies the Langebaan Lagoon. The West Coast national park is a home to the Langebaan Lagoon which is recognised as a RAMSAR wetland site of international importance, and these wetlands are designed like sand beds. As a marine global invader Mytilus galloprovincialis was introduced via marine transport, it has been transported by ship ballast water to South Africa.

The introduced species started to out-compete the indigenous black mussel (choromytilus meridionalis) and also threatens the indigenous Perna perna. Its rapid spread has resulted in a decline of this endemic species. Ironically the Mediterranean mussel has become the stronghold of the mussel mariculture industry in Saldahna Bay.

http://bcb722.blogspot.com/2007/01/invasion-of-mediterranean-mussel.html

And have you heard about the fresh water mussel nightmare facing California's lakes and reserviors???....http://www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel/

HotSchott - 4-23-2008 at 07:58 AM

The most interesting info I have read lately regards a Japanese researcher who has genetically engineered fish to breed bluefin. This guy has successfully modified common trout to breed endangered salmon. He changes the fishes reproductive system to make them actually produce the other fish. His latest effort will attempt to have blufin produced from common mackeral which are related. If it works, there will be populations of mackeral breeding bluefin!

Tuna pens....NOT

TonyC - 4-23-2008 at 08:54 AM

They're (corporations) making money, but the pens are killing the nearshore habitat. As mentioned the waste the pens produce goes straight down where it collects. The amount of WSB, YT....etc., that are caught when they net bait to feed the pens will eventually kill the fishing in Baja Norte. Alot of locals, depend on nearshore fishing to make their living, big money will push them out. Fishing the San Quintin area between La Pinta hotel, and Tranquillo last year, I saw a boat netting bait so close to shore I could have cast a 4 oz. lure with a surf rod and hit it.
I ask the capt. I was fishing with why it was allowed. He said it wasn't. Also that the capt., and crew supplement their wages by selling the by-catch WSB, YT, and whatevere else is in the net.

The pens maybe needed to make money, but for the nearshore habitat it a lose, lose situation.

SiReNiTa - 4-23-2008 at 05:34 PM

right you are about killing sea life around and inside the pens, i have cought word of dolphins and sharks getting caught in the nets wanting to get at the tuna...and another thing you are right about is that they have other species in there..not sure what kind but...they're there!!...

Sharksbaja - 4-23-2008 at 10:25 PM

I may have spoke too soon.

Of interest is the statement that infers that "wild stocks" would not be depleted. That is a gross understatement.

I was not aware the funding for study is by the Packard Foundation. They are a well-oiled machine and rank in the top ten of philanthropic grants and the like.
They fund the Monterey Aquarium and programs across the planet.

Their mission:

They have established criteria and persue a logical approach into aquaculture and other fishery based industries.
They will give you a credential and support if your idea or technique fit the criteria for a sustainable industry/fishery.
They assess each applicant based upon important factors. Many of which address concerns that I have.

Many of us have followed the development fiasco the Loreto Bay Co. created and the subsequent compromise of their stated mission and final plan and development(s).
I myself am leary of non-profit orgs, foundations and the like.
I see administrative abuse of funds and the exploitive use of eco-media hype.

The end result are often open-ended assessments requiring more grant money for grad studies or more likely, more investments and corporate hoohaw.

It is so ironic that these well-heeled well-intentioned orgs fall prey to the money machine. Let's face it, it's become the bottom line. They DO want their money back!
That bottom line belongs to the creative.
There are many companies that feature PR and are quite successful at it. At first glance this whole affair, the foundation, has successfully created seems exactly what good ocean stewards would welcome.
Looking closer look reveals a huge money machine. The risks are nill simply because they run this org like a fortune 500 co. They probably already are.:rolleyes:

All this may seem boring to many but the outcome could have huge implications. I am talking about an endorsement given to these Asian tuna rustlers. I worry that the consequence of such an accredited operation like the current one could be far reaching.

Although sardine and anchovy stocks are up the exponential increase in fishmeal type products to fuel the glutinous penned animals will soon take it's toll on other fish stocks and populations. Local overharvest will force the fleet to move elsewhere to continue the process.

Viewing the GPS tagged tuna location suggests that the the arrival point of migratory tuna is the area around Ensenada.
Intercepting these animals has become childsplay for the present fleet, hence the rapid increase in tuna pen numbers.

It has taken many years for SoCal to return to reasonable numbers of certain gamefish that were decimated in the 70s and 80s. The loss of stocks was attributed to various factors but baitfish was at the top of the list of causes.

Unlike tuna which survive in a large pelagic environment, small baitfish are not so widely distributed. Inasmuch their region becomes a regular target for migratory fish.

I hope that data is assimilated to reflect a complex global system rather than info gleaned from involved parties;.

There are many important interests at stake. Most involving income and new PC markets. You be the judge.:yes:

btw, this org has many important political connections

http://www.packard.org/home.aspx