BajaNomad - Sea Shepherd, Totoaba & Vaquita

Sea Shepherd, Totoaba & Vaquita

gringorio - 1-25-2017 at 06:32 PM

Hey Ya'll,

For the last few weeks I've been the drone operator on one of the two Sea Shepherd ships that are working out of San Felipe. We are patrolling the vaquita reserve and pulling up illegal totoaba nets. It's been very satisfying work locating and destroying the illegal gill nets known to drown the endangered vaquita. While I can't post detailed video due to copyright agreement, I have made a short video with misc. clips:

San Felipe, Sea Shepherd and the Sea of Cortez

sancho - 1-25-2017 at 07:33 PM

Was in SF last spring. saw the Sea Shepard big boat, I believe it
is named the Farley Mowat. There is quite a bit of angst among
the panga fishermen who can't fish due to the closure. A guy
came by the campground said he can't fish, he was surprised
I knew about the situation, he asked me why the world wants
to deprive him of his livelihood, my Spanish wasn't quite
geared up for a conversation like that. I wouldn't walk the
SF Malecon with a Sea Shepard shirt

David K - 1-25-2017 at 08:56 PM

Thanks Greg!

Hook - 1-25-2017 at 09:49 PM

So, how many vaquitas did you see?

gringorio - 1-25-2017 at 10:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by sancho

Was in SF last spring. saw the Sea Shepard big boat, I believe it
is named the Farley Mowat. There is quite a bit of angst among
the panga fishermen who can't fish due to the closure. A guy
came by the campground said he can't fish, he was surprised
I knew about the situation, he asked me why the world wants
to deprive him of his livelihood, my Spanish wasn't quite
geared up for a conversation like that. I wouldn't walk the
SF Malecon with a Sea Shepard shirt

So true... I will argue that the world wants to save species from extinction and that the Sea that he is fishing in now is and has been dramatically over-fished. Lack of enforcement of existing regulations has led to the current situation. The demand from China for magical cures found in the swim bladders of the totoaba does not help. Simply put, there are too many people on the earth consuming too many resources.

gringorio - 1-25-2017 at 10:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

So, how many vaquitas did you see?

I have not seen one, despite many hours on watch looking for them. The new population estimates are supposed to come out soon.

"According to rough estimates, with vaquita population numbers falling by 40 percent annually, and only 60 alive a year ago, there could be as few as three dozen left."

gringorio - 1-25-2017 at 10:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Thanks Greg!

Thanks David! As you know I'm very happy to be involved in wildlife conservation in the Baja/Sea of Cortez area.

Martyman - 1-26-2017 at 10:49 AM

Good Job Gringorio! Keep up the good work!

Tomas Tierra - 1-26-2017 at 11:16 AM

Gringorio,
I was watching your TV show the other week and saw you guys transferring a dead "totuaba" from your boat to the Mexican Navy......
Only problem is, it was not a totuaba, it was a lunker white sea bass (the tail was clearly shown). Made for good TV, but clearly an unfair representation of the fisheries.. Were you aware of this??

Also, a vaquita was claimed to have been seen on the same show. Judging by the dorsal fin shown, it was a common dolphin... Or did you guys actually see a vaquita??

" you can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time. Now you see the light, stand up for your rights "- Bob Marley

TT

StuckSucks - 1-26-2017 at 11:19 AM

Spectacular video!

gringorio - 1-26-2017 at 11:40 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Tomas Tierra

Gringorio,
I was watching your TV show the other week and saw you guys transferring a dead "totuaba" from your boat to the Mexican Navy......
Only problem is, it was not a totuaba, it was a lunker white sea bass (the tail was clearly shown). Made for good TV, but clearly an unfair representation of the fisheries.. Were you aware of this??

Also, a vaquita was claimed to have been seen on the same show. Judging by the dorsal fin shown, it was a common dolphin... Or did you guys actually see a vaquita??

" you can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time. Now you see the light, stand up for your rights "- Bob Marley

TT

I was not there at the time and I have not seen the show. There is a photo of the vaquita that were seen. Is there a website that can help ID a totoaba vs. white sea bass?

Tomas Tierra - 1-26-2017 at 12:03 PM

G.
Im sure there is.. Mexfish.com or something like that..It's all in the tail shape for general ID on those fish.. I would think there would be at least one expert on that team that could ID a totuaba?

-< ( Sea Bass

-< ) Totuaba

Great news on the Vaquita sighting!! Hopefully many more to come..sounds like a great gig you have

TT

Edit: I'm available as a fish ID expert! Been doing it my whole life

[Edited on 1-26-2017 by Tomas Tierra]

gringorio - 1-26-2017 at 12:09 PM

Thanks! I'll do a web search before going back to the ship.

It's a Crying Shame

MrBillM - 1-26-2017 at 07:00 PM

That the Totoaba is so far gone.

To this day, it was the BEST Fish that I've EVER tasted.

And wish that I could again.

Too bad about the Vaquita, I guess, but millions of species (so they say) have gone extinct and those tiny numbers make it seem "The Impossible Dream."

Were they good eating ? A Nip aphrodisiac ? Or, did they just have the misfortune to hang out with the wrong crowd.

Not that it matters.

BajaRat - 1-27-2017 at 10:08 PM

Hi Greg,
Are there any DNA collection programs going on for a possible cloning future ?
Thanks, Lionel

elgatoloco - 1-27-2017 at 10:55 PM

Keep up the good work. I liked the race with the panga. :cool:

DENNIS - 1-28-2017 at 09:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by MrBillM

Were they good eating ? A Nip aphrodisiac ? Or, did they just have the misfortune to hang out with the wrong crowd.

Not that it matters.

[oooooooo........nippy]

I hear Wrigleys tried to clone the chewy texture of the bladder to introduce into the China market right behind Juicyfruit.
"Hard" to believe, huh.

A Matter of Taste ?

MrBillM - 1-28-2017 at 11:18 AM

I was curious given that I've heard conflicting opinions regarding the other Dolphins caught as a by-product of the Tuna catch.

BUT, given the fact that many cultures (and individuals) consider some food a delicacy that we think tastes like garbage, it's probably a question that has no answer worth hearing.

AND, given that there isn't a possibility to make a personal assessment, there's no point to the query.

DENNIS - 1-28-2017 at 11:26 AM

Just travel to the heart of Tijuana for a REAL hot dog to round out your assessment capabilities.

Geo_Skip - 1-28-2017 at 02:07 PM

Thank you for your service, gringorio. You are one of the very best our species has to offer.

Bubba - 1-28-2017 at 05:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by gringorio

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

So, how many vaquitas did you see?

What a sad situation. Thank you for your efforts.

TJ Comida

MrBillM - 1-28-2017 at 05:52 PM

Back in my (1960s) younger days, I DID eat at The Blue Fox (and a couple of other like establishments) without regret, BUT I've never been dumb enough to try anything off of those TJ street vendors.

Back in '57 on our way to Agua Caliente Racetrack, my father ate a Taco off one and ended up in the hospital in San Diego.

Unfortunately, he didn't croak, but it was a lesson to me.

bajamary1952 - 1-29-2017 at 04:30 PM

One of the things I've been shocked that it seems the average Mexican doesn't know about is the Asian fishing trawlers who came in and decimated the fish population in all the Mexican waters for many years. When you ask them about that they act like they have never heard of it which I find unbelievable. Then they wonder why there are limits on fishing season.
I applaud the Sea Shepherd and any group who is attempting to change the attitude of Mexicans to become more educated about who is taking away their livelihood.