The beginning/end of the end.

Two years ago there were 3 of these vessels working out of San Carlos, BCS. This year there is as many as 14. At first they harvested sardines, until they were gone. They then targeted mackerel, which numbers have drastically diminished, as evidence in the dwindling fall striper and mackerel show on the coastal Pacific out of Magdelena Bay. Now they are harvesting anything and everything they can feed into the ovens in the San Carlos plant to burn and produce fertilizer. Much of the fertilizer to grow corn, to feed to cattle. More recent reports have these destroyers of the food chain sailing far north in BCN now, searching yet farther to feed the ovens. If you still have sardines and mackerel where you live, it is just a matter of time before they arrive in your waters, and the local fish stocks are affected.
The local pangueros are devastated watching their livelihood and their way of life, and that of their children/grandchildren, go away right in front of their eyes. Needless to say the hook and line escama fishery, (marketable scaled fish), has diminished to the point that many now are only able to target shark and lobster, all for export.

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck documents the rapid collapse of the California sardine fishery from similar overfishing. When the base of the food chain is removed, everything else follows suit.

Not that long ago, going fishing for me meant easily catching some sardines, or mackerel, dropping them down to the bottom, or fly lining them on your favorite spot, and inevitable success would follow. We didn't even carry lures most of the time. You located the sardines easily by following the numerous feeding pelicans. Out on the open water you located the surface feeding target fish by finding the many frigate birds circling over the migratory pelagics.
I haven't seen or caught sardines in any number in at least five years, mackerel much longer. The ever present flocks of pelicans cruising up and down the beaches are gone. Frigates now are far and few between. It's all gone away, and fast! Birds are an indicator, and their lack of presence says it all.


Gill nets as well are responsible for the diminished inshore fish stocks. Catching dinner at the beach out front was guaranteed, usually in short order casting a lure, or soaking some bait. Not anymore.

Permits both for the fertilizer plant, (big, big money), and the local gill nets are obtained and regulated, (or not), for the benefit of few at the expense of many and their way of life. Responsible commercial fishing and sport fishing and all the support commerce it generates can be sustainable and would generate a living income for all involved, if given a chance.

As resilient as mother nature is, I am fearful it is too late to recover what we had just 10-15 years ago. Those of us that remember the mostly foreign long liners that worked the coast at night would attest that the bill fish have never really recovered since then. All you need to do is look at the historical catch record of the tournaments over the last 20 years.

Humans as a species have the ability to right a wrong, but human nature, (greed), gets in the way of better judgement, usually to benefit the few.

Sorry for the doom and gloom, but without facing reality, and awareness there is no hope.

The beginning/end of the end.

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Everybody has a diff point of view. I know many people that moan about overfishing destroying the oceans, but same people vehemently deny anthropogenic climate change. I know commercial fishermen that moan about their dieing fish stocks, but they continue to scrabble for every last fish possible before quota is reached, because they are in a race to harvest, and they cant see their own industry is killing itself. All of earth is connected. Too many people acting on their own selfish motives. We are all doomed!

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo

The two major problems are overpopulation and corporate & human greed... I've been saying for the past few decades that what this world needs a good pandemic that would wipe out 85% of mankind. (Think Georgia Guidestones ) Too bad the last one wasn't the ONE. Humans are like locusts on this earth, ravaging it's natural resources. In a perfect scenario, everyone over the age of 40 would perish. Sounds brutal, but better than most of the world starving from lack of food..... There's a saying " Most people die at 29 , but aren't buried till 79"

Quote: Originally posted by Cancamo

Two years ago there were 3 of these vessels working out of San Carlos, BCS. This year there is as many as 14. At first they harvested sardines, until they were gone. They then targeted mackerel, which numbers have drastically diminished, as evidence in the dwindling fall striper and mackerel show on the coastal Pacific out of Magdelena Bay. Now they are harvesting anything and everything they can feed into the ovens in the San Carlos plant to burn and produce fertilizer. Much of the fertilizer to grow corn, to feed to cattle. More recent reports have these destroyers of the food chain sailing far north in BCN now, searching yet farther to feed the ovens. If you still have sardines and mackerel where you live, it is just a matter of time before they arrive in your waters, and the local fish stocks are affected. The local pangueros are devastated watching their livelihood and their way of life, and that of their children/grandchildren, go away right in front of their eyes. Needless to say the hook and line escama fishery, (marketable scaled fish), has diminished to the point that many now are only able to target shark and lobster, all for export. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck documents the rapid collapse of the California sardine fishery from similar overfishing. When the base of the food chain is removed, everything else follows suit. Not that long ago, going fishing for me meant easily catching some sardines, or mackerel, dropping them down to the bottom, or fly lining them on your favorite spot, and inevitable success would follow. We didn't even carry lures most of the time. You located the sardines easily by following the numerous feeding pelicans. Out on the open water you located the surface feeding target fish by finding the many frigate birds circling over the migratory pelagics. I haven't seen or caught sardines in any number in at least five years, mackerel much longer. The ever present flocks of pelicans cruising up and down the beaches are gone. Frigates now are far and few between. It's all gone away, and fast! Birds are an indicator, and their lack of presence says it all. Gill nets as well are responsible for the diminished inshore fish stocks. Catching dinner at the beach out front was guaranteed, usually in short order casting a lure, or soaking some bait. Not anymore. Permits both for the fertilizer plant, (big, big money), and the local gill nets are obtained and regulated, (or not), for the benefit of few at the expense of many and their way of life. Responsible commercial fishing and sport fishing and all the support commerce it generates can be sustainable and would generate a living income for all involved, if given a chance. As resilient as mother nature is, I am fearful it is too late to recover what we had just 10-15 years ago. Those of us that remember the mostly foreign long liners that worked the coast at night would attest that the bill fish have never really recovered since then. All you need to do is look at the historical catch record of the tournaments over the last 20 years. Humans as a species have the ability to right a wrong, but human nature, (greed), gets in the way of better judgement, usually to benefit the few. Sorry for the doom and gloom, but without facing reality, and awareness there is no hope.

Several of these vessels prowling in and around Bahia Concepcion right now.