BajaNomad - Fishing license enforcement

Fishing license enforcement

Pescador - 3-3-2009 at 05:05 PM

I just talked to a good friend from Santa Rosalia area and he was asked by the PESCA office to inform all of the people he knows that they are going to be doing a lot more enforcement of fishing licenses in the Santa Rosalia/Mulege areas. I have been borded once in the last couple of weeks and now he tells me that the PESCA office is going to begin a compliance check and those boats operating without a valid license for each person on board and a current registration of the boat from the person's residence and those boats who are not in compliance will be confiscated and the person will be paying a fine and may well have jail time.
This seems to be happening to the local fisherman as well and we could only hope that they start checking licenses and matriculatin numbers of the pangas who start netting during the spring run.
In the last ten years I think this year is the first time I have ever been checked and luckily I had all the papers and licenses aboard, but if they are really serious about this it sure could change things.

Hook - 3-3-2009 at 06:20 PM

Jim, are you saying (that THEY are saying) even vessels here on a TIP would have to keep their US registration current?

[Edited on 3-4-2009 by Hook]

Osprey - 3-3-2009 at 07:02 PM

I think it was Diver who recently posted there was a new online source for fishing licenses. Just when I was celebrating the fact that Mexico is beginning to make licenses more accessable, funneling the money to FONMAR to be used regionally. Down south here they are trying to find more ways/more places to sell licenses but it is a hit and miss situation. Overall a lot more visible enforcement of registration and fishing licenses. I can't speak to TIP (is that a Temporary Import Permit?) cause my boat is registered in San Jose. It is all good news for the fishery except: last week the authorities were enforcing the 2 dorado rule here while allowing Mexicans to capture 100s of kilos of sierra. Two steps forward skity eigth steps back..........

shari - 3-3-2009 at 07:14 PM

I for one am glad they will be enforcing the rules everywhere....as we went through great I mean GREAT lengths and expense to legalize our pangas with matriculas and all...and have turned down clients who dont have mexican licenses...so everyone who doesnt like mordidas and are those "letter of the law" types should applaud this measure of enforcing the fisheries regulations...sportsfishermen take alot of fish too. Mexico is getting organized...isnt this what people want??? or only if it doesnt affect YOU! You can now get licenses even in some gas stations like in BOLA.

Don Alley - 3-3-2009 at 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
... It is all good news for the fishery except: last week the authorities were enforcing the 2 dorado rule here while allowing Mexicans to capture 100s of kilos of sierra. Two steps forward skity eigth steps back..........

Yes, I have heard that you folks down south have sierra. We used to catch them here, too, in the Loreto "Marine Park." Really scarce fish here in recent years. :no:

Pescador - 3-4-2009 at 01:06 PM

Hook, what the Marine people told me when they boarded was that they wanted to see some type of registration of the boat, In my case I had both, so I can not really answer that question. You should be able to get the answer to that question either from the PESCA office in Guaymas or at the marina in San Carlos.

Pescador - 3-4-2009 at 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
I for one am glad they will be enforcing the rules everywhere....as we went through great I mean GREAT lengths and expense to legalize our pangas with matriculas and all...and have turned down clients who dont have mexican licenses...so everyone who doesnt like mordidas and are those "letter of the law" types should applaud this measure of enforcing the fisheries regulations...sportsfishermen take alot of fish too. Mexico is getting organized...isnt this what people want??? or only if it doesnt affect YOU! You can now get licenses even in some gas stations like in BOLA.

I applaud Shari and Juan for doing this. In the past I have had friends who I would take out for the day and because things had not been enforced in the past or because they were nationals, I did not pay attention to whether or not they had licenses. Now that has changed and unless a person has a valid fishing license that is current, they do not get a chance to go out on my boat.
I also know that we have had some people at the trailer park in San Lucas that figured there was no reason to have a registered boat or fishing licenses. Guess that is still true, but I would bet that when they take the first boat, that there will be a long line at the office where they issue fishing licenses. :bounce:

24baja - 3-4-2009 at 02:59 PM

Last October we were not able to get the fishing permit at the gas station in BOLA, had to go to Guillermo's Bar to obtain. Not sure if they have started selling at the gas station in BOLA again.

Paladin - 3-4-2009 at 07:05 PM

Reading the above it appears that local Nationals/Mexican citizens need a license also????

Do they pay a different rate?????

I sure hope so since $40 something sounds like it would be very expensive.

Thanks

[Edited on 3-5-2009 by Paladin]

4baja - 3-4-2009 at 07:13 PM

yes they have them at the station in BOLA. second station on the left.

Bajaboy - 3-4-2009 at 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paladin
Reading the above it appears that local Nationals/Mexican citizens need a license also????

Do they pay a different rate?????

I sure hope so since $40 something sounds like it would be very expensive.

Thanks

[Edited on 3-5-2009 by Paladin]

How do Mexican Nationals purchase them (licenses) if they live in remote areas?

Skipjack Joe - 3-5-2009 at 12:43 AM

Quote:

Mordidas are flexible. They pay whatever they're carrying.

shari - 3-5-2009 at 08:59 AM

it is the same license for mexicans too...same price and there is NO WAY TO PAY A MORDIDA HERE!!! The fisheries officer is an awesome guy who will NOT be bought....sorry.

On a side note...just to let ya know that mexicans are treated equal in fisheries issues...and maybe worse...a few days ago a couple fishermen pulled their fish traps and were spotted (by another fisherman) not throwing back the lobster that get in them but keeping them in the boat...well, the vigilancia busted them and it is a 6 year jail term instead of just a coop violation because they are out of season now. Lucky for the families of these guys, they were given the option to avoid the jail term of resigning from the coop which means no job, no pension, no health insurance for the families.
The moral of the story is...DO NOT TAKE ANY LOBSTERS/abalone etc...even though you may think..awww this is mexico, no problema, there are lots of bugs down there....you will go to jail.

Terry28 - 3-5-2009 at 10:27 AM

Congrats to the officials..It is refreshing to see locals getting the same treatment as everybody else....Things are changing and at least for the better there....now if we could only get those officials over to Mulege and the bay of conception......

Barry A. - 3-5-2009 at 11:26 AM

Yes, congrats on enforcing the law, but in my opinion ANY time in the pokey is absurd, and counter-productive. Fines, and stiff ones, ARE appropriate, and the pokey should be reserved for only those who "fail to learn" or are disrespectful to the officer.

The objective should NOT be to ruin one's livelyhood!

That's my take, anyway.

Barry

shari - 3-5-2009 at 01:17 PM

Fines here dont work because there is no money to pay them...jail is inappropriate for their crime IMHO...these 2 guys are upstanding cleancut, older gentlemen...said they were using the lobster for bait for the traps which is very common but illegal too but I dont see it as a crime to ruin someones life in jail for. I think temporary suspension for a season would work in this case but the powers that be....well...i wont go into that here.
they will likely try to get a spot fishing sargasso now.

Pescador - 3-5-2009 at 01:38 PM

Quote:

If they are commercial fishing they get a matricula number and I do not know what that costs, but if they are sportfishing, then they need a license for Pesca Deportiva. This is a problem if you take a mexican with you for the day to go fishing and he does not have a license, since you are sportfishing, he really does need a license. During the Governor's Cup Tournaments, they were issuing sport fishing licenses for 5 days to cover the tournament, but they had to buy them the same way as the Norteamericanos. Probably due to lax enforcement, everyone thought that they did not need a license, but if you read the regs, it is a little different.
Shari can answer better than I but I suppose that the coop fisherman have a matricula number but still need a sport fishing license to go out on someone elses boat. I think that was what Juanchy's told me at La Bocana.

bowser - 3-5-2009 at 06:00 PM

fishing licenses NOT available at Pemex in BOLA. Have been trying to get one this week. Also not at Diaz. The only possibility is at Guillermo's, but you must see him personally. Staff doesn't know for sure.

I'll post the outcome when I track him down.

shari - 3-6-2009 at 09:09 AM

Terry28....regarding the comment about how nice that locals are given the same treatment....hmmm...I wonder what a huge scandal would occur if a gringo tourist...say one of the Mulege Jungle Jim boys...everybody's drinkin buddy....got 5 years in a mexican prison cause he had a couple lobster in his Robalo? It would be interesting to see if a gringo would get encarcerated like the locals do. A teenager here got 4 years cause he got an abalone off the rocks here at the blowhole to make a little ceviche for lunch.

Terry28 - 3-6-2009 at 10:38 AM

Shari, Good point..I would guess that gringos, like in your above post would skate...and no, it would not be fair at all, but neither is 4 years for your local teen. Did that sentence get upheld?? seems way too harsh.
What I meant in my post was that some locals get ignored for some law violations when tourists get targeted. i.e. speeding,drinking in public etc.
I guess the double standard can worl both ways.. , Monica needs another guitar lesson and misses her horse!!

[Edited on 3-6-2009 by Terry28]

shari - 3-6-2009 at 10:42 AM

Yeah, I understood your meaning but just wanted to present the other side of the peso....the poor kid did go to the slammer and got out in a couple years on good behavior...sad case...bet he never takes another abalone though! It was a good lesson to the many here that do.

Monica needs to come and see the gorgeous new colts her vaquero amigo has and our new burro!

Pescador - 3-6-2009 at 11:32 AM

Remember two years ago there were some divers at Juncalito that were caught with lobster and scallops in the national park. At first it looked as though they were going to lose their boats and maybe even do some jail time because they did not follow the park rangers directive to follow them back to Loreto. They finally got everything straigtened out and they ended up paying about a $1,000 fine. Sure sounds like less than the Asuncion guys got.

Paladin - 3-7-2009 at 05:21 PM

Jim
I was with that guy at a party 3 weeks after that. The guy is a brother of my weekly golf buddy.

He paid a lot of money for a good attorney.

55steve - 3-7-2009 at 08:18 PM

We'll be taking a boat down to our place in BoLA very soon - What are the regs on a CA. registered boat that is going to spend the rest of its days in Mexico? Can it be as simple as just keeping the CA. registration current on it and the trailer?

Pescador - 3-9-2009 at 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve
We'll be taking a boat down to our place in BoLA very soon - What are the regs on a CA. registered boat that is going to spend the rest of its days in Mexico? Can it be as simple as just keeping the CA. registration current on it and the trailer?

No, you need to do a 10 year importation on the boat and get a laser sticker for your windshield. They are trying to stop the boats that get imported by Americans and then sold without paying any taxes on the boat. It is called a Temporary Importation Permit.

Martyman - 3-9-2009 at 04:16 PM

Steve55
I'm doing the same thing as you (the boat is already there). I will keep my cal registration current and hope for the best. Being at BOLA there isn't much enforcement

Paulina - 3-9-2009 at 06:38 PM

http://www.bahiadelosangeles.info/message-board/index.php?do...

Mia is reporting that fishing licenses'/permits are no longer available for purchase in Bahia de Los Angeles.

Check out her entire post for up to date info.

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