During the 1980's there was such an extensive harvesting of the bay scallops in Bahia de Concepcion that today you would be hard pressed to find a
single bed left untouched. There were over 3000 outside people involved in the day-to-day scalloping. Hooka lines criss-crossed the bay so badly you
had to keep an eagle's eye out when motoring through the bay so you wouldn't cut some diver's airline. Hundreds of pangas were piled high with
scallops. Whole villages sprung up here and there along the Bay's shorelines...and the stench was overpowering miles away. None of the shells, which
contained the eggs, were thrown back into the sea, but were left to rot on the beaches or hauled into the nearby desert in truckloads.
Today the huge endless piles of bay scallop shells line most sides of the unpopulated sections of our bay. There are hundreds like the one in this
photo. Mute testimony to a harvest-for-today policy..save nothing for tomorrow.Bruce R Leech - 3-22-2005 at 07:50 AM
most of the divers are going down 90 feet or more to git them now. they will stay down there 3 or 4 Horus. vary dangerous.4baja - 3-22-2005 at 08:01 AM
i remember a lot of theft around thet time too, i guy next to me lost a bunch of camera equipment and a guy down the beach lost his zodiac to the
thiefs. many of these people were from the mainland and didnt care about over fishin or othr peoples stuff.lewm - 3-22-2005 at 08:23 AM
I remember in the early 70's when you could pick as many as you needed in knee deep water at santispac on the north side of the sand bar. Probably
could not find one today.
hooka
fishinrich - 3-22-2005 at 11:10 AM
Bruce--A hooka rig is only good to about 50' after that the atmospheres are to great so if the divers say they are going to 90' then they must be on
scuba or be narced out before there dives. I know when I go scuba diving in baja below 50' it is a whole different sea floor. fishin rich
So now I know!
yankeeirishman - 3-22-2005 at 11:20 AM
Pompano....we camped at a place called "Shark's Camp" a few years back. This camp is located near Black Mountain. There were HUGH piles of shells (as
in your picture, but x5!) on the coastal cliffs. The wify and I were at a lost at this sight! Thanks for the imput. God....what a damn waste these
fools did.
Money Laundering!
Don Jorge - 3-22-2005 at 11:59 AM
Pompano, I remember well that year.
I wrote these words in my diary at the time:
"Who can forget when the Sinaloan fleet showed up in Bahia Concepion in the 80's, hundreds upon hundreds of brand new pangas with brand new hooka
rigs. You literally could walk across Santispac bay, side to side, by hopping across on top of the pangas they were so numerous. Overlooking the
rape of the shellfish ecosystem, from above off the road, sat the Dodge Ram truck, Sinaloan placas. Who bought those pangas and compressors and paid
the boys? Guess? woody with a view - 3-22-2005 at 11:01 PM
Quote:
save nothing for tomorrow.
seems the lure of the ALMIGHTY peso will drive most every chilango/pollo to extreme depths...bajalera - 3-23-2005 at 11:07 AM
We camped at Concepcion several times in the '60s, and people were trapping pink-mouthed and black-and-white Murex, which a trucker picked up at
intervals and took to Ensenada for sale to tourists. Don't seem to be any of those left, either.
bajalera
Lest we forget...
Jack Swords - 3-23-2005 at 11:33 AM
Growing up on the Central Coast of California, there were mountains of abalone shells similar to the photo on vacant lots and fields from Santa
Barbara past Morro Bay. Used to dive in 5 - 10 feet of water to get nice reds. Now, they're gone. Used to fill a gunny sack with nice fish on deep
sea trips, now it's a baggie. bajabum - 3-23-2005 at 11:40 AM
I have 3 scallop shells on my desk gathered from Conception Bay over the years. The oldest is about 1 1/2 times the size of my hand, the next is about
the size of my hand and the last is about 1/2 the size of my hand. Got all of them snorkeling from shore. I havnt seen one of any size for about the
last 5+ years, Kinda sad. Even the rock scallops are gone, used to get them about the size of a bowling ball.
One time I was diving for them off of Playa Escondida and had filled my game bag about 1/2 full. It got kinda heavy to drag along so I set it on the
bottom and continued hunting. When I returned to the bag with a few more scallops I discovered that scallops can swim! The bag was empty and the
scallops were all eratically swimming off into the abyss Pompano - 3-23-2005 at 11:45 AM
thank goodness we can still get lots of steamers......what do you say?.. let's protect these at least! bajalera - 3-23-2005 at 01:02 PM
Stop it, Designated Butter-Melter, yer makin' me drool! Haven't seen a steamer in ages.
Lera
Bajalera...just for you.
Pompano - 3-24-2005 at 04:49 PM
Tonight, enjoy these nice fresh steamers on us...bon appetite!
May I recommend a nice chilled Chablis? We have a very good Chateau Last Tuesday.bajalera - 3-24-2005 at 09:39 PM
Thanks--that was delicious.Nikon - 3-24-2005 at 09:47 PM
Pompano said the 80's, but I first saw the piles of shells in '79. They'd already started spreading them over the roads, years prior to our arrival.
The piles awaited future roadbuilding projects. My nine year old daughter couldn't get enough of them and we carried three 20lb bags to Zihuatanejo in
the trunk.
"Coals To Newcastle"Bruce R Leech - 3-24-2005 at 10:23 PM
Pompano Sharksbaja left something here for you. synch - 3-25-2005 at 10:19 AM
We were diving in Loreto for 3 days over last Thanksgiving and did not see one scallop
The Silence of the Reefs....
Pompano - 3-25-2005 at 06:45 PM
Is it just me and my bad hearing..or has the Cortez got a whole lot quieter in the last 30 years?? I can remember when I went snorkle-diving and the
clatter of sound underwater was like a roomful of old typewriters...click, clack, click, chatter, chatter, popping, whistles, lots of NOISE! Now it's
like an intensive care ward....very, very quiet.
[Edited on 3-26-2005 by Pompano]yankeeirishman - 3-25-2005 at 07:26 PM
Not you. The silence is at Ft Bragg too. In fact...the whole damn coast.
