BajaNomad

Ending Overfishing

Bob H - 8-23-2014 at 08:08 AM

This short video about the 2012 campaign to end EU overfishing helps to teach us about citizens’ responsibility around the world to help end overfishing.

http://wakingtimes.com/gallery/2014/08/22/ending-overfishing...

aguachico - 8-23-2014 at 10:15 AM

Thanks for that video link. The numbers are there and are believable. The do or die solution doesn't address the other issues. Stop buying commercially caught fish, no more sushi, tacos or canned tuna.

Only eat what you capture .

BajaBlanca - 8-23-2014 at 10:38 AM

I think controlling by setting limits is better than not eating sushi, seafood tacos and canned tuna.

the bottom line is that each individual does make a difference by contacting politicians and by educating others.

weebray - 8-23-2014 at 10:50 AM

Thank you for your post. I recently have had an ongoing "discussion" on this forum about this very topic. A poster wanted to know how to bring 100 lbs. of frozen fillets into Mexico. This annoyed me because, as the owner of a fish market for 10 yrs., I knew that much of this fish was eventually headed for the dumpster. The discussion took the typical left turn and I was vilified and told to go back to spam etc. etc. I enjoy fresh fish and enjoy some of the finest in the world right here in the Bravo market. I am not ready to give fish up but I appreciate the other point of view that postulates an end to its consumption. http://ideas.ted.com/2014/08/20/should-you-stop-eating-fish-...
My family is now much more aware of our collective impact on the global biomass. We rarely, albeit sometimes, eat shrimp and other seafoods that are counterproductive to a healthy aquaculture. I am simply asking the overfishermen of our community to try to elevate their thinking. Just because it's legal to catch 800 lbs. of tuna doesn't mean you need to or have to. 800 lbs. of fish represents almost a ton of fish and over one thousand six hundred servings. I don't mean to lecture anyone here but that is excessive and thought should be given to scaling back on your impact on the world resource. Your actions are effecting me and I'm not happy about it.

monoloco - 8-23-2014 at 11:32 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by weebray
Thank you for your post. I recently have had an ongoing "discussion" on this forum about this very topic. A poster wanted to know how to bring 100 lbs. of frozen fillets into Mexico. This annoyed me because, as the owner of a fish market for 10 yrs., I knew that much of this fish was eventually headed for the dumpster.
Quit saying that much of this fish is heading for the dumpster, it's simply not true. If I could not utilize it, I simply wouldn't go to the considerable effort and expense to preserve and transport it.

Overfishing

bajaguy - 8-23-2014 at 11:46 AM

Overfishing in Mexico will end when the government decides to end it by getting involved in conservation, education, enforcing limits and sinking long line trawlers.

I would much rather see legally caught fish in the hands (and mouths) of families, villages, co-ops and yes, sport fisherman.

weebray - 8-23-2014 at 12:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Overfishing in Mexico will end when the government decides to end it by getting involved in conservation, education, enforcing limits and sinking long line trawlers.

I would much rather see legally caught fish in the hands (and mouths) of families, villages, co-ops and yes, sport fisherman.


It's pure pollyanna to think that Mexico is going to deal with this problems anytime soon. They have neither the resources nor political will to do so. It's time for "us" to start making a fuss and demand our neighbors and friends show some restraint. I'm not interested in getting into another peeing match about how much seafood YOUR family can consume. Most families cannot eat 200 to 1600 servings of ANY protein a year but maybe yours can. I am interested in calling attention to a huge problem that needs to be addressed. I am asking you overfishermen to consider only taking what you can eat in a reasonable period of time. Even sport fishing packing houses recommend one year as the limit. Back when I was in the business it was discovered that, through a process not fully understood, even the most carefully packaged fish started to deteriorate after about 3-6 months. This only affected the taste and texture but could not be prevented. Please only catch what you can eat and eat what you catch. That would be a great start.

rts551 - 8-23-2014 at 12:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by weebray
Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Overfishing in Mexico will end when the government decides to end it by getting involved in conservation, education, enforcing limits and sinking long line trawlers.

I would much rather see legally caught fish in the hands (and mouths) of families, villages, co-ops and yes, sport fisherman.


It's pure pollyanna to think that Mexico is going to deal with this problems anytime soon. They have neither the resources nor political will to do so. It's time for "us" to start making a fuss and demand our neighbors and friends show some restraint. I'm not interested in getting into another ******* match about how much seafood YOUR family can consume. Most families cannot eat 200 to 1600 servings of ANY protein a year but maybe yours can. I am interested in calling attention to a huge problem that needs to be addressed. I am asking you overfishermen to consider only taking what you can eat in a reasonable period of time. Even sport fishing packing houses recommend one year as the limit. Back when I was in the business it was discovered that, through a process not fully understood, even the most carefully packaged fish started to deteriorate after about 3-6 months. This only affected the taste and texture but could not be prevented. Please only catch what you can eat and eat what you catch. That would be a great start.


Don't we "fuss" enough with the rest of the world?

How much of the dynamics of fishing in Mexico do you understand in order to make this fuss?

Osprey - 8-23-2014 at 01:25 PM

Give Weebray a break. We need passionate, concerned, motivated activists who would/should go directly to D.F. gain an audience with the current head of Pesca, pay him several tens of millions of dollars to stop selling fishing permits to those nasty commercial chinchorros from Iceland and Korea and such. Then we could stop worrying and catch more, eat more, waste more without a worry about the fishery and future.

bajaguy - 8-23-2014 at 01:51 PM

Read a book with a similar theme, "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha"

Who are you, Weebray, Alonso Quixano or Sancho Panza???

And please don't presume to know how much and what I and my family eat.

When you get back from meeting with CONAPESCA in DF please tell us how much progress you made

aguachico - 8-23-2014 at 02:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
I think controlling by setting limits is better than not eating sushi, seafood tacos and canned tuna.

the bottom line is that each individual does make a difference by contacting politicians and by educating others.


tongue in cheek Blanca.
People will always buy commercially caught fish, sushi, tacos and canned tuna. If the proposed limits were set and followed, what do you think the price of a $5 piece of toro will cost? $15? $50?

That combined with the increase of fuel costs.

For example a local tuna trip will cost me $400, maybe yielding 20# of tuna fillets on average for the year. That equals the local market price and doesn't take into account the overall cost to run a boat.

Fishing is too expensive to limit commercial take to the proposed limits. That is something you will never hear discussed. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO SUPPLY THE MARKET WITH AFFORDABLE FISH? Better yet, HOW MUCH FISH IS NEEDED TO BREAK EVEN?

Are you willing to pay more taxes to assist commercial interests when fishing is limited?

I am typing this as Mari is making sierra ceviche, i caught it a few days ago. probably cost me $2000mxd :cool:

Skipjack Joe - 8-23-2014 at 09:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by aguachico

Only eat what you capture .



Absolutely right. And capture only what your or your family can consume in baja.

Weebray is completely correct with everything he says and supports. We need more nomads with his mindset.

monoloco - 8-24-2014 at 11:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Quote:
Originally posted by aguachico

Only eat what you capture .



Absolutely right. And capture only what your or your family can consume in baja.

Weebray is completely correct with everything he says and supports. We need more nomads with his mindset.
Sorry but, the whole premise of weebray's argument, that somehow fish is going to waste, is false ( he provides absolutely no evidence for it), rendering the rest of his point moot. I would argue that if someone is catching fish within the lawful limits and the resource is being 100% consumed by the family of the fisherman, his neighbors, friends, or whoever, that would be the highest, most efficient use of the resource, direct from harvester to consumer.

[Edited on 8-24-2014 by monoloco]

MitchMan - 8-24-2014 at 02:40 PM

Big picture: To cure the over fishing takes 1)First, there has to be adequate numbers of the public around the world to "want" to support conservation 2)then, the will in governments around the world to pass good conservation legislation and the will to enforce it.

The question is, is there enough public will around the world? Is there adequate and sufficient will among the governments of the world to pass requisite legislation and enforce it? Apparently not.

At this point, I expect fishing in the Baja to be almost as bad as offshore fishing in Southern California within the next 8 years. I don't expect Mexico to do enough soon enough...ever.

A person can at least talk about the merits of conservation at every opportunity in hopes of influencing others; that's something everyone can do. But, it will take much more public outcry everywhere to influence enough politicians/governments to do their job and enforce conservation. Until that time arrives, nothing soon enough and substantive enough will get done any time soon... Action has to be at the governmental level, but people in sufficient numbers have to get on board first.

The way I expect it all to roll out is that stocks around the world will become even much more depleted than they are now, much more, to the point that supply and demand will make eating fish super expensive; an extravagance, probably sooner rather than later. Then you will see some legislation and enforcement, but that's it; it will be marginal and overall ineffective. I expect that eating fish by my grandchildren in their adult lives will be considered as an occasional extravagance.

[Edited on 8-24-2014 by MitchMan]

[Edited on 8-24-2014 by MitchMan]