BajaNomad

The Forbidden Clams in Asuncion

shari - 8-30-2014 at 08:41 AM

The storm is over, the seas are calming, the sand is beginning to return to the bare rock on some beaches but there are still pangas parked on the streets. There is dead kelp piled high on many beaches and the popular beach at Los Pinos in town has beautiful shiny black sand. The beach had some cool exposed whale bones and lots of traps.



Everyone in town was excited about the clam ceviche we would all be eating as after a big swell, pismo clams wash up on the beach and are collected by the locals to eat. I had visions of almejas brujas.

And wash up they did...in the thousands so the fishing cooperativa collected nearly 2,000 clams on the beach in hopes of reviving them in their big tanks to put back in the ocean to save the species which apparently is nearly wiped out by both the high water temps and big swell. It will take many many years for them to come back...if ever.



So we brought a bucket and headed out the beach to reap the bounty of clams before they died...but we were told by the vigilancia that it was prohibited by the fisheries department to take them. WTF????? Now I am all for fisheries regulations but this is just way too ridiculous. The few clams we got would have been dead in an hour at the low tide. The beach was littered with thousands of dead and dying clams...why not feed some families?



[Edited on 8-30-2014 by shari]

micah202 - 8-30-2014 at 09:13 AM

.
...yeh,,that's NUTZ!

...I can picture an extreme case of this where starving people are desperately trying to elude the 'conservation police' as they try to salvage food that would otherwise spoil!! :o

.

acadist - 8-30-2014 at 09:49 AM

That sounds like NOB thinking

BornFisher - 8-30-2014 at 10:55 AM

That is a bummer----- and not very happy clams!!

micah202 - 8-30-2014 at 11:20 AM

.
....conservation laws........GONE WILD!:spingrin:

Pacifico - 8-30-2014 at 11:22 AM

Prohibited to take them??? Sometimes common sense isn't so common!

BajaRat - 8-30-2014 at 12:22 PM

Very sad news Shari. I'm in hopes that many dug deep but increased water temps and a good beating will definitely thin out the crowd.
When you look at the ancient ones in the cliffs we should have many to come long after we're gone, fingers crossed.
We have been talking of larger depressions and this cat 5 was impressive.
Glad it didn't make landfall :o

Geo_Skip - 8-30-2014 at 12:28 PM

Thanks to the Co Op Shari, there is a chance to jump start the recovery. Nature does not exist just to provide sport and food for people. The local efforts are smart and timely. I hope they are also successful.

Meanwhile the shell collecting on the beaches will be better for the northerners who have not seen such clams on the over abused beaches of Sudden Kalifornia!

The company president still has the photo of me and my (Borrowed) 20-lb yellowtail on his wall. I haven't told him that it was borrowed yet...that can wait until I have to retire.

sd - 8-30-2014 at 12:46 PM

Shari - I always admire how your community promotes reasonable and sustainable fishing. It is extreme to not allow your desired clam bake, sorry to hear that. Perhaps the rules could have bent instead of letting them just die.

Oh well, looks like you have had a good year fishing, always enjoy seeing what is on your beach dining menu.

I fish the East Cape often, so always enjoy hearing the fishing stories. Too many sardinas, not enough sardinas, water is too hot or too cold, too much wind, too calm, etc. We seem to always get a fish dinner, in part because they also are conservation minded.

Place south of Loreto on the water has fantastic chocolate clams for $4.95 US per dozen.

Have a great weekend!

BajaRat - 8-30-2014 at 12:54 PM

Sounds like a new moon drive down the beach tonight :D

Save the clams !

woody with a view - 8-30-2014 at 01:05 PM

we'll bring you some in Oct.

BajaBlanca - 8-30-2014 at 01:07 PM

boy, what a shame not to allow the clams to be taken this one time!

amazing how severely Bahia Asuncion was affected by the waves and for La Bocana it was a NON-EVENT.

freediverbrian - 8-30-2014 at 04:48 PM

I wish all law in enforcement Pesca , DFW , co -ops , feds , or local would enforce the spirit of the law ie. protecting the environment
and not the letter of the law, just some common sense .

[Edited on 8-30-2014 by freediverbrian]

SFandH - 8-30-2014 at 04:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
but we were told by the vigilancia that it was prohibited by the fisheries department to take them. WTF?????


Maybe 100 pesos would have turned a blind eye.

Just kidding............... sort of.

cops

freediverbrian - 8-30-2014 at 05:24 PM

clammery??:?:

micah202 - 8-30-2014 at 05:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by freediverbrian
clammery??:?:


...a clammery calamity:wow::o:no:

micah202 - 8-30-2014 at 05:29 PM

.
...to be clear...are -all- the shells in the top 2 pictures new?...the beach is usually just sand in the same place??

freediverbrian - 8-30-2014 at 05:58 PM

Happy Birthday soul patch and many more birtherys to you

[Edited on 8-31-2014 by freediverbrian]

El Camote - 8-30-2014 at 06:02 PM

Yes Feliz cumpleano, patch, may you frolic in the clammery on your special day! :O

acadist - 8-30-2014 at 07:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
we'll bring you some in Oct.

She didn't say CRABS, Woody :spingrin:

woody with a view - 8-30-2014 at 07:56 PM

i am currently free of crabs.... ain't no bugs on me, either!

woody with a view - 8-30-2014 at 08:21 PM

HBDay!

Bajaboy - 8-30-2014 at 08:26 PM

For all those wishing for tuna...it comes with a price..warmer water is not a good thing for the local cooperitivas....but regardless of what the denialists are saying...warmer water is a reality. Or watch Fox news and put your head in the sand....

BajaLuna - 8-30-2014 at 09:24 PM

I agree Blanca, it seems they could have let people take them just this one time. Such a waste!

shari - 8-31-2014 at 07:56 AM

first of all...muchas felicidades a Soulpatch!!!! sounds like you had a terrific birthday.

The whole clams in the pictures are newly washed up. Our beaches are so interesting as clam shell deposits come and go...some days there are lots of white patches like these and other days there are none.

Now the good news yesterday was that everyone made such a stink about the dying clams not being used for food that the powers that be relaxed the law and allowed people to gather and eat them....so wooo hooo, Boe4fun & Juan got a bucketfull and made a clam c-cktail for all the workers, neighbours and visitors and later we enjoyed almejas brujas...yeah!

the abalone fishers are extremely concerned about next seasons fishery...Bahia Tortugas cancelled their abalone season and this may just happen here too.

KaceyJ - 8-31-2014 at 08:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
first of all...muchas felicidades a Soulpatch!!!! sounds like you had a terrific birthday.

The whole clams in the pictures are newly washed up. Our beaches are so interesting as clam shell deposits come and go...some days there are lots of white patches like these and other days there are none.

Now the good news yesterday was that everyone made such a stink about the dying clams not being used for food that the powers that be relaxed the law and allowed people to gather and eat them....so wooo hooo, Boe4fun & Juan got a bucketfull and made a clam c-cktail for all the workers, neighbours and visitors and later we enjoyed almejas brujas...yeah!

the abalone fishers are extremely concerned about next seasons fishery...Bahia Tortugas cancelled their abalone season and this may just happen here too.



Shari,

Has withering disease been identified in the ab populations in your area?