BajaNomad

buying lobsters "legally"

TonyC - 11-27-2011 at 04:07 PM

What is the cost per kilo? Is it ok so long as you buy from a co-op with a receipt?

TonyC - 11-27-2011 at 04:10 PM

may as well include abalone.

Seafood

Gerald - 11-27-2011 at 04:54 PM

What is the right way to buy legal seafood?

Lets concentrate on what we can do. What seafood can we bring back and how?

Gerald

TonyC - 11-27-2011 at 05:09 PM

i'm trying to confirm. i heard from a local that so long as it's purchased from a co-op with a receipt, your good. just hoping the military/federal cops are on the same page.

mcfez - 11-27-2011 at 06:12 PM

"eat fast"

Woooosh - 11-27-2011 at 06:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TonyC
may as well include abalone.

no "Turtle Soup" to go with it?

TonyC - 11-27-2011 at 06:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
Quote:
Originally posted by TonyC
may as well include abalone.

no "Turtle Soup" to go with it?


no turtle soup. i have tryed it at federale party in san quintin a few years ago. i didn't like it.

why let it go to waste is what they told me. :spingrin:

woody with a view - 11-27-2011 at 07:00 PM

depends where you are. if you are in a strong co-op area with a vigilancia you better follow the rules. other places the boys sell to us gringos as they make more $ and a few lobsters are considered a gift from them. the $ we give is considered their gift!

no moral judgements please, no one is innocent.

[Edited on 11-28-2011 by woody with a view]

BajaBlanca - 11-27-2011 at 09:24 PM

lobster in la bocana is 540 pesos a kilo of tails

abalone is much much more, but i am not sure of the price right now, but it used to be $70 a kilo !!

I have no idea if there are any restrictions to taking it north of the border but for inside Mexico, a receipt is a good thing. Every so often we are checked by CONAPESCA while driving in very obscure local roads.

chumlee57 - 11-27-2011 at 09:35 PM

langosta from what i know is illegal to take. stay with common sense, maybe buy some, eat a nice meal, don't try and run stuff that is considered illegal back accross the border, or for that matter put some military guy in a bad situation, enjoy mex, in mex, stevo

TonyC - 11-28-2011 at 05:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chumlee57
langosta from what i know is illegal to take. stay with common sense, maybe buy some, eat a nice meal, don't try and run stuff that is considered illegal back accross the border, or for that matter put some military guy in a bad situation, enjoy mex, in mex, stevo


my intent is "legally". it's not illegal to bring langosta back into the U.S. so long as it's for personnel use. in Mexico, it's illegal to take any kind of shell fish on your own, or to buy it from a local. my question is buying it from a co-op with the proper paperwork. has anyone done this?

"the bad situation"...since i'm the one without the automatic, that would be on me....not dude with the gun.

[Edited on 11-29-2011 by TonyC]

Woooosh - 11-28-2011 at 10:28 AM

I don't think you can take live clams back north across the border. Not sure how Abalone fits into that.

BajaBlanca - 11-28-2011 at 12:05 PM

regarding what woody said: no one, absolutely no one, Mexican or foreigner is allowed to touch lobster or abalone here. It CAN be given to you, but it cannot simply be taken.

One day, long time ago when we first moved here...senor les decided to help along a trap that had live lobster inside and which had washed up onto the beach. Well, he came home on the quad and subsequently proceeded to BBQ the lobster ... all of a sudden the vigilante watchguard came over ... I wanted to hide !!! He chastised Les for touching the trap and told him to never do it again.

which he hasnt as now our amigos can give it to us when we ask for it.

SteveD - 11-28-2011 at 12:54 PM

There is suppose to be a co-op in Ensenada where you can legally buy lobster, but I don't know where it is.

A couple of years ago we bought them at Popotla for $34US/kilo. Kind of high but they were big (2-3 lbs) and live and kicking!

Back when Demitri ran La Fondas we asked him why they never had lobster at lunch time. He told us the government inspectors worked during the day and if he served lobster he would have to show the paperwork. But after 6 PM they would suddenly be back on the menu.

shari - 11-28-2011 at 01:47 PM

I called our cooperativa and they quoted me "about $26 US dollars per kilo" because they deal with dollars...the price changes daily though. You can only buy fresh live lobster on the day they come in and before they get loaded onto the truck, otherwise they flash freeze them.
When you buy from the coop, they give you a legal receipt to show at the checkpoints etc.

People complain about the high price...but why would they sell them to you cheaper than the price they get on the open market? The cheapest restaurant lobster here that I know of is 250 pesos for a dinner at Loncheria Mari's.

TonyC - 11-28-2011 at 02:01 PM

thanks shari for the answer. i'm heading down january, and the guys at work are chipping in for a surf, and turf dinner.

@wooosh. I don't know about live clams, but i have a place near el socorro where i buy pismo clams cleaned, and frozen...$6.00 U.S. a kilo per bag.
i've never had a problem bringing it back to the bay area. we're having clam chowder also.

@shari. $250 pesos for a lobster dinner is ok with me...i'm down.

[Edited on 11-28-2011 by TonyC]

dtbushpilot - 11-28-2011 at 02:50 PM

Shari, I know that the size varies but about how many lobsters would make up a kilo?

sancho - 11-28-2011 at 02:58 PM

We have purchased shrimp from San Felipe
Panga fisherman
off the beach when they returned with their catch,
I assume they were part of the Co op of SF panga
fishermen, I know they were fresh as they were still
wiggling. Obviously no reciept, don't know if this practice
is approved by the Co op. I suppose it is considerate
to abide by regs, 1 reg which is sometimes overlooked
by Gringos is that no clams be dug, I imagine that has
been ignored at least once, the Fish Cabrilla I have
seenon the no take list for Tourist fisherman.
Not judging anyones behavior

[Edited on 11-28-2011 by sancho]

TonyC - 11-28-2011 at 03:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sancho
We have purchased shrimp from San Felipe
Panga fisherman
off the beach when they returned with their catch,
I assume they were part of the Co op of SF panga
fishermen, I know they were fresh as they were still
wiggling. Obviously no reciept, don't know if this practice
is approved by the Co op. I suppose it is considerate
to abide by regs, 1 reg which is sometimes overlooked
by Gringos is that no clams be dug, I imagine that has
been ignored at least once, the Fish Cabrilla I have
seenon the no take list for Tourist fisherman.
Not judging anyones behavior

[Edited on 11-28-2011 by sancho]


i've done that with regards to lobsters...a couple for dinner. also, dug for for the small clams. i don't take more than i need for dinner, and i've never had a problem with the locals. however, a few years ago a group of tourist were digging for clams, but they had fill 4 coolers, and were still clamming when javier, and i drove up on them. javier politely told them to keep a cooler, and return the rest. one of the guys told him to f#@k off...not a smart move considering they drove through aguilar property to access the beach. they were lucky fernando showed up, javier's uncle.

[Edited on 11-28-2011 by TonyC]

shari - 11-28-2011 at 05:44 PM

usually around 2 full lobsters per kilo...sometimes the coop sells lobster meat which is way a better deal.

dtbushpilot - 11-28-2011 at 08:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
usually around 2 full lobsters per kilo...sometimes the coop sells lobster meat which is way a better deal.


Thanks shari, can you buy tails?.....dt

shari - 11-28-2011 at 09:16 PM

not that I know of...legally.

dtbushpilot - 11-28-2011 at 09:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
not that I know of...legally.


Well, you know that I wouldn't want to do anything illegal in my new home country, thanks for the info.....dt

UnoMas - 11-28-2011 at 09:46 PM

Two years ago made a trip to Mag Bay (San Carlos) and bought everything sea food we could fit in our coolers. Lobster and shrimp were out of season and went to the co-op and bought frozen which came with facturas.
When crossing the check point North of La paz the soldiers looked at what we had and sent us on our way.... about two miles down the road a car sped up next to us and waved us over and checked our papers for the shrimp and lobster. Moral of the story if you are going to transport you better have papers:light:

TonyC - 11-29-2011 at 05:34 AM

exactly why i asked this question. thank you.

viabaja - 11-29-2011 at 10:13 AM

What lobsters? They are all imported from the Phillipines now!

TonyC - 11-29-2011 at 11:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by viabaja
What lobsters? They are all imported from the Phillipines now!


maybe in palawan...all the other places are fished out. baja's still better.

shari - 11-29-2011 at 12:34 PM

yeah, the USA has cheaper lobsters imported from other countries and I believe the baja ones go to the orient where the prices are higher.