BajaNomad

Mexican fish and game laws?

larryC - 4-15-2009 at 09:18 AM

Does anyone know where I can get a printed or a downloadable copy of the current fish and game regulations?

Osprey - 4-15-2009 at 09:26 AM

Larry, here's the link in San Diego www.conapescasandiego.org

larryC - 4-15-2009 at 04:33 PM

Osprey
Thanks for the link, but the regulations on that link seem too short and incomplete, which is what I usually run into. It is basically someones interpretation of what the regulations are. I want to see the complete list of regulations. About 10 years ago I was visiting with Abraham at camp gecko and he had a booklet of mexican fishing regulations printed by the Mex government. It was printed in '92 so I am sure regs have changed since then alot but I can't find an official booklet of all the regs.
Larry

Osprey - 4-15-2009 at 05:48 PM

Larry, I have the same book. CONAPESCA in San Diego in the link I gave you shows the current fishing regulations for the country of Mexico and pal that's as good as it's gonna get. All the local BS is local BS, one marlin per boat, catch all the squid you want, forget about the limits for dorado, roosters, sabalo = you are gonna eat it. That's all you need. The rest is all hearsay. Check PESCA, Mexfish and all the authorities but you're looking for particulars where there are only generalizations except for the big green book which has not yet been changed by Mexican Congress since the official diary on the 25th of June 1992. Doubt the source? The book is in my left hand and I'm typing with my right.

larryC - 4-16-2009 at 07:16 AM

Osprey
All I am saying is that the way those regs are presented on that link seems to leave out alot of detail. For instance, is it legal to use treble hooks? Are there size limits for different species? As I remember reading that pamflet that you have there was a section about being a "resident of the beach" and if you were then you didn't need any permits or licenses. Also it stated, as I remember, that you could take pretty much anything you wanted as long as it was for your consumption. I don't remember if it said that you had to be fishing from the beach just that you had to be a "resident of the beach". Do you see that section in there? So no I don't doubt the source I just want to see the complete regulations.
Larry

flyfishinPam - 4-16-2009 at 07:28 AM

Here ya go:

www.oeidrus-jalisco.gob.mx/jalisco/docs/serv/norm/NOM-017-PE...
(you'll need adobe reader)

Section 4 of this document (Spanish) outlines the regs. The regs have not changed since 1994 for sportfishing limits. Types of equipment, hooks etc are outlined in this section.

I was just skimming the document and it states that fishing from the shoreline (tierra or land) doesn't require a permit. I am not seeing anything about "residents of the playa", unless I'm missing something.

It would be a good idea to have a printed copy of this with you to show to officials who may be mis-interpreting the law. :biggrin:

[Edited on 4-16-2009 by flyfishinPam]

TheColoradoDude - 4-16-2009 at 07:02 PM

I found this. http://www.bajaquest.com/fishing/rules.htm

Don Alley - 4-17-2009 at 07:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TheColoradoDude
I found this. http://www.bajaquest.com/fishing/rules.htm


Quote:

"In ocean waters and estuaries the limit is a total of ten fish per day, with no more than 5 catches of a single specie, except of the species of Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish and Shark, of which only one specimen of either is allowed, and which counts a five toward the overall 10 fish limit, or Dorado, Roosterfish, Shad, or Tarpon, of which only two samples of each specie are allowed, and which count a five toward the overall 10 fish limit.***

[*** Note: As explained by the Department of Fisheries office in San Diego, this means that if you catch 1 marlin (5 points) and 1 dorado (5 points), you have reached your limit for the day.

Other examples of full Mexican limits would be: 2 dorado; 1 dorado plus 5 miscellaneous species; or, 1 roosterfish plus 1 dorado.-- B.A.R.]"


So, that clears up everything!:lol:

flyfishinPam - 4-17-2009 at 02:58 PM

it makes much more sense in Spanish. This nearly direct translation makes it sound confusing but that would be totally logical to a Spanish speaker. Here's my interpretation

you get to catch ten permitted kind of fish a day
you can't catch any more than five of the same species in one day
if you catch two dorado (or roosterfish or tarpon), that's like catching five of a permitted species
if you catch one shark, or a beaked fish (sailfish, swordfish, marlin, spearfish) they count as your five fish AND you can't catch more than ONE of these under a sport permit


so for example:

five yellowtail and five tuna is your daily limit
one shark and five yellowtail is your limit
one sailfish and five cabrilla you're done fishing
two cabrilla, five yellowtail, a triggerfish and two pargo you're done keeping fish for the day
no turtles are allowed
no totauaba are allowed
no mossusks
only fin fish allowed

got it?

Don Alley - 4-17-2009 at 03:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by flyfishinPam
...if you catch two dorado (or roosterfish or tarpon), that's like catching five of a permitted species...


That's my interpretation too. But the interpretation from Conapesca, is that while you are allowed a maximum of two dorado, or roosters, EACH ONE counts as FIVE:
Quote:
Other examples of full Mexican limits would be: 2 dorado; 1 dorado plus 5 miscellaneous species; or, 1 roosterfish plus 1 dorado


My interpretation would be that you could take two dorado (= 5 fish) and five pargo,or two roosterfish and two dorado, which seems to be in line with Pam's. The question is, what is the interpretation of the local Profepa guy?

Just thought I'd pitch in to make things a little less clear.:lol:

Cypress - 4-17-2009 at 03:32 PM

Is this a joke topic or what? Catching over the limit? :lol: How 'bout catching anything?:lol:

shari - 4-17-2009 at 04:48 PM

I thought it said that dorado=5 fish...so if you got 2 dorado, you are done fishing and cant take any other fish cause you have your 10 limit with 2 dorado...am I mistaken??

flyfishinPam - 4-17-2009 at 05:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Don Alley

That's my interpretation too. But the interpretation from Conapesca, is that while you are allowed a maximum of two dorado, or roosters, EACH ONE counts as FIVE:

Quote:
Other examples of full Mexican limits would be: 2 dorado; 1 dorado plus 5 miscellaneous species; or, 1 roosterfish plus 1 dorado


My interpretation would be that you could take two dorado (= 5 fish) and five pargo,or two roosterfish and two dorado, which seems to be in line with Pam's. The question is, what is the interpretation of the local Profepa guy?

Just thought I'd pitch in to make things a little less clear.:lol:


Print up the Spanish version, the first link I posted its a PDF file and keep in in your boat. show it to them if they refer to anything other than whats in print.

a dorado is FIVE fish. And One marlin is like five fish too but unlike the case of dorado you can only have one not two.

I am sorry each of dorado, roosterfish or tarpon counts as FIVE. crap I'm confused too!

shari - 4-17-2009 at 06:15 PM

Hey Pam...looks like it says that free diving fishing you can use a "hand spear" ...is this a hawaiin sling that I thought was illegal to use??? I thought you had to use a spear gun...but hand spear sounds like a sling to me.

Osprey - 4-17-2009 at 06:31 PM

You're all getting a little closer:

Hawaian slings are the only kind of spear you can use -- only rubber band type, no compressed gas type.

Two dorado count as one billfish or a limit of single species fish --- UNANSWERED QUESTION !!!!! WHAT DOES ONE DORADO COUNT FOR? I have asked all the Pesca people that and we all have a good laugh. I will keep on laughing forever since yesterday one of our local cruisers caught 17 dorado and when the clients were worried about the limit the captain said "There's no limits like the federal limits here in East Cape. Don't worry about it."

answer!

woody with a view - 4-17-2009 at 06:35 PM

1 dorado = DINNER!

BirdDog - 4-19-2009 at 06:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody in ob
1 dorado = DINNER!



It all makes sense now.:lol:

Diver - 4-19-2009 at 07:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
Hey Pam...looks like it says that free diving fishing you can use a "hand spear" ...is this a hawaiin sling that I thought was illegal to use??? I thought you had to use a spear gun...but hand spear sounds like a sling to me.


Hawaiin slings are legal; such as Mr. Gypsy's and Tio's.
Also rubber banded spear guns are legal.
Pnuematics spear guns or firearms (bang sticks) are illegal.

This according to the folks that boarded my boat 2 years ago.

Tiomiguel - 4-20-2009 at 12:30 PM

Hi guys and Shari
Long time no email. I remember that when Gypsy was down that he was worried about the Bahama sling being illegal and a regular powered spear gun being legal. Someone thought that with powered speargun that you lose less fish that are injured. It did not make sense to me at the time, but who was I to argue. Everywhere else that we have been, Bahamas etc., its only the Bahamas sling that is legal and not the powered gun when snorkelling.

Shari, since Gypsy is on the way down, remember his Bahamas sling is in our storage area. So he may want to use it this time.
Cheers all.

Cypress - 4-20-2009 at 01:08 PM

A Hawaiian sling? Bahama sling? They're both pole spears powered by large rubber tube/bands. It's dawning on me that the fishing is better on the Pacific side than in the Sea of Cortez. :D

BajaBruno - 4-20-2009 at 08:55 PM

FlyFishingPam was kind enough to link to the official fishing regs at www.oeidrus-jalisco.gob.mx/jalisco/docs/serv/norm/NOM-017-PE... and what an interesting read that is!

For instance, nowhere do I see anything about the often repeated “rule” that everyone on a boat with fishing gear onboard must have a fishing license.

But, here are the rules as they were interpreted by the dear wife Alix:

You are restricted to using only one rod per angler, but you may have as many rods onboard as you wish (§ 4.6.1, 4.20.1, & § 4.6.5);

Fishing from shore requires no fishing permit (§ 4.4), but bag limits must be respected;

Fishing with SCUBA gear is not permitted (§ 4.5);

No more than four hooks can be attached to a line, even for bait fishing (think sabikis here) (§ 4.6.1);

And nets cannot be used to catch anything, even bait! (§ 4.6.1);

No bait can be used that is not a fish (no cheese bait, for instance), and live bait can be used only for the first two fish—after that only dead bait may be used (§ 4.6.5);

You may not throw live bait into the water to attract (chum) fish! (except when authorized during a tournament) (§ 4.6.6);

The daily catch rate:

Ten fish max per angler;
Including no more than five fish of any single species;
Marlin, swordfish, sailfish, & shark: one fish (counts as five fish for total);
Dorado, roosterfish, & tarpon: two fish (the two count as five fish for the total). (§ 4.7.1);

Free-divers may take five fish per day (4.9);

You may fish past your daily catch limit, but you must release fish caught (§ 4.10);

No fishing within 250 meters of a commercial fishing boat, or a beach with swimmers (§ 4.12);

You may not clean fish aboard the boat (§ 4.14);

Service providers (charter boats) must have permits for vessel and anglers and a log book with data (outboard boats don’t need to have the log book on board, but still need one) (§ 4.16);

You need a fishing permit that is paid (§ 4.17.1) and must show it on demand (§ 4.17.2). (It doesn’t specifically say “anglers” need a fishing permit, but the 4.x sections are subtitled “Regulations for Recreational Sport Fishing Activities in Federal Waters,” so who else could they be writing about? There is no mention of your Aunt Martha who is repelled by fish and coming along for the ride.);

No long lines, nets, explosives, or poisons may be used or transported (§ 4.20.2);

And you may not anchor less than 15 meters from a coral reef (§ 4.22).

(Many other sections refer to tournament rules).

I suppose many of you are laughing right now, since anyone who has gone out with a panga captain has seen all of the baitfish rules ignored, if not several others. By comparison to US state fishing regulations, these seem mostly intuitive with a few particularities as one sees in various US jurisdictions.

I don’t see anything onerous here, but there are many that one would never guess based on experience of actual practices on the water.

For your shopping pleasure!!!

Don Alley - 4-21-2009 at 07:19 AM

Gene Kira has written about some of the "hidden" rules, such as the rule against chumming (critical for the San Diego albacore boats) and the rule against using live bait after the first two fish.

Another commonly disregarded rule is the rule against taking non fin fish, which includes squid and sea shells on the beach.

But you never know when (or why) someone may just decide to enforce a regulation and put your a$$ in a sling.

Pompano - 4-21-2009 at 07:39 AM

We had our fishing licenses checked while in the boat at Mag Bay. After handing back the documents, the checker asked "Have you been watching any whales?" Of course, we knew better than to say.."Sure, there was one beside us just 15 minutes ago." Here, you need a permit and a guide to 'see whales'....(hey, we really didn't see any of those whales...we just got sprayed)....fun stuff.

Lately, almost all boats are being checked for proper documents, including fishing licenses, in the Mulege area. I am assuming this will be the norm for all of Baja to come. It's a 'good thang', as Corky would say.