Conapesca is pushing for commercialization of dorado, backed by the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Chiapas and Nayarit. Baja Sur and sportfishing
representatives want an economic and scientific investigation first, but Conapesca wants a purely political decision in the Chamber of Deputies.
One giant step backwards!!!!!!!!!!!wessongroup - 12-17-2009 at 07:39 PM
good to see you back upHook - 12-17-2009 at 08:18 PM
Ok, so what are we gonna do about this foolishness?
Mexicans, at the level that this decision will be made, only understand money. If we assume that we are morally above trying to buy their votes
outright, then the only option is some sort of organized and publicized boycott that will get attention above the ones who will decide this.
Is there any other option? I am waiting to hear it. This issue has reared its ugly head in the government of Mexico AGAIN.
-Yes, it will cause grief to those who cannot afford it, the local fishermen and the charter owners.
-Yes, it will mean giving up fishing trips to Mexico.
-Yes, it will mean boycotting restaurants that continue to offer dorado on the menu, a non-commercial fish.
-yes, it will mean taking a stand and getting involved with international organizations that will be against this, INCLUDING MONETARY SUPPORT.
Dont think of monetary support as the outright bribe that works so often with Mexican officials. This would be used in counteracting this with
publicity. It will be fighting fiction with facts.
It's time, folks. The dorado season sucked on both sides of the sea AGAIN (somebody break this gently to Skeet). In my experience, it hasn't been good
since the late 90s. If commercial fishing is allowed, there is a very real chance that it could push the species beyond recovery in the Sea. Complete
extinction? Of course not. But we may be past the point where the cessation of commercial fishing for dorado would allow it to recover within even 10
years.
We cant do it by ourselves, as gringos. We must involve the Mexicans who feel the same way we do. They are out there. I meet them every day over here.
There is a demographic that is very aware of the value of preserving the Sea. They are not all youngsters out of college and members of the Partido
Verde. They see the beauty of the Sea, of the ecosystem and of the dorado. And they see the value of the jobs that fishing creates. Of course they do.
They may be ignorant of ALL the repercussions of this outrage but they are not stupid.
This problem is not going to be solved without action as proactive as this rule change would be.
What are we going to do??????? It's time.
Hell, it's past time, already.redhilltown - 12-17-2009 at 11:56 PM
I totally agree that the locals have to be the first line of defense. The problem is I only see the bad side of things when I fish....the gill nets
and the time when 25 Mexicans in 3 trucks came down a 4x4 road at 5 a.m. where I was camped on the Cortez and proceeded to fish all day and keep
EVERYTHING they could: from the largest Corvina to the smallest 2" Spotted Bay Bass and Triggers. Then they left their trash and fishing line and
went home to sell it all I presume (sacks upon sacks of fish). Which is not to say they were not really nice and we had a great time and partied with
them. If any local organizations come up I would be more than happy to contribute any way I could to fight this new proposition. Dorado are just too
bad ass to ever disappear completely but god it would be a shame to see them as an occasional and rare sighting.
fish and chips
wessongroup - 12-18-2009 at 05:37 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by redhilltown
" Dorado are just too bad burro to ever disappear completely but god it would be a shame to see them as an occasional and rare sighting."
Ditto'sSkeet/Loreto - 12-18-2009 at 08:10 AM
Hook: If it happens it will cause a decline but they will be back.
Just look at the Sierra! They are back in the millions after being taken out in 1976. Check the Photos on the Fishing Forum.
I have to disagree about the Dorado Fishing in the past 2 years from my personal experience , Best I have seen in about the last 15 years. Ckeck the
fisherman of this past summer all over, not just the Loreto 25 mile zone,
I just wonder what affect Americans have on trying to affect Change on the mesxcan Govt??
Ii would be much better for Amecians to stop using DOPE, then The Mexicanos would have no where to transport it. That would affect those
"Grandchildren" some of the Envior Nuts are talking about. "Save it for our Grandchildren!!Don Alley - 12-18-2009 at 08:19 AM
On my morning walk today, I saw a local car with a sticker in the window, in Spanish, saying "Yes to Responsible Fishing" (paraphrased).
This is not a case of "Mexico will do this," but is the beginning of a debate. There are Mexican people on both sides of this issue.
I know Minerva at Minerva's Sportfishing is involved in fighting this, as are elected and appointed officials in BCS. The weak link is the mainland,
where politicians are hearing from the commercial industry but not hearing from the sport captains and tourism industry.
I would think The Billfish Foundation would be involved but I haven't received an alert from them.
While one response sees this, correctly IMO, as a potential step backwards, there are possibly some forward steps here too.
Locally in Loreto there is a possibility of more conservation-minded regulations in the Marine Park and maybe an expansion of the Park in the coming
year. The new BCS entity FONMAR has a man selling fishing licenses at the marina every morning, and FONMAR has local inspectors checking returning
sport fishermen.
But right now it's pretty slim pickings here. A couple of hot spots for small fish have drawn crowds, as most known spots have been poor. There are
sierra, but its spotty, nothing like what Pompano has pictured in the Mulege area. The important question there might be not what they've caught, but
what's left after their catch.
Loreto's dorado seasons are variable; last year was excellent but this year was only so-so. And we had a two or three year stretch of poor fishing.
The proposed changes could make things worse, but it's possible (conjecture here) that the move is not so much to expand commercial fishing, but to
protect existing illegal fishing, sanctioned by a corrupt CONAPESCA but under pressure from environmental groups that have blown the whistle to US
Customs and threatened the illegal importation of these fish to US markets. There was a large bust at the border last year of dorado manifested as
yellowtail.vandenberg - 12-18-2009 at 08:38 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Don Alley
There are sierra, but its spotty, nothing like what Pompano has pictured in the Mulege area. The important question there might be not what they've
caught, but what's left after their catch.
This also raises the question: "What do they do with pickup loads of sierra like that ?" No consumer market large enough in that area for such
excess, which must mean fertilizer or fishmeal ?
Anybody know the answer ?Skeet/Loreto - 12-18-2009 at 08:46 AM
Van: To Small amount for Fertilizer; It should sell real fast at the local Markets and there are plenty of people in Mulege to eat that amount of
Fish,
I have not seen a Pile of Sierra like that in 30 Years. It also migh mean that the yellowtrail will come back in close to shore and chase those
bougers as they did years ago. Good Fishing.mulegemichael - 12-18-2009 at 09:01 AM
it's actually a sad state of affairs here in mulege regarding the harvest of sierra....the local pangueros are literally wiping them out, averaging 3
to 9 tons PER NIGHT!...as usual they are keeping everything, including juvenile sierra...i've seen hundreds and hundreds of sierra that won't go more
than 10"...so, so sadRuss - 12-18-2009 at 09:27 AM
TheColoradoDude - 12-18-2009 at 09:39 AM
One man cannot make judgement on how another man feeds his family.mulegemichael - 12-18-2009 at 09:42 AM
sorry; most of these fish will feed cats, not humansvandenberg - 12-18-2009 at 10:20 AM
Another drawback of Sierra is that they deteriorate rapidly, even when kept on ice. No way the population of the area is large enough to consume those
quantities.
I for one, would be reluctant to eat a fish that has been kept in the bed of a truck for any longer then 10 minutes, Sierra especially.wilderone - 12-18-2009 at 10:58 AM
"One man cannot make judgement on how another man feeds his family"
sure we can. And we can make judgments on species conservation and our own personal interests - including fishing for sport. Tunnel vision will
prevent seeing a solution.Skeet/Loreto - 12-18-2009 at 11:03 AM
Van: Many years ago when I first started fishing out of Loreto, we only brought in a couple of the larger Sierra for Ceviche for the afternoon crow at
the Hotel Oasis.
The Sierra were so thick as the schools came into shore chasing the smaller bait, the yellowtail were right behind,,
At San Nicholas there were times when the larger fish where taken, dried and salted and shipped out to Mesico City for Food. If it is prepared
properly it becomes a good fish that can be used for Food.
In all my years I never saw a Meixcano Fisherman lose much Fish.redhilltown - 12-18-2009 at 11:58 PM
I would bet there are PLENTY of mexican fishermen that would pass judgement on these guys netting and keeping 5" sierra. or is it only us gringos that
can't judge?
