Skip_Mac
Nomad
Posts: 102
Registered: 4-25-2008
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Sad environmental news
Repost from SF Chronicle Oct 15 08:
3,000 dead sea turtles in Baja California
Over five years, scientists have counted 3,000 carcasses of endangered sea turtles washing up on the southern coast of Baja California.
UC Santa Cruz
Researcher Hoyt Peckham finds a dead loggerhead turtle on a Baja beach.
UC Santa Cruz researchers published the shocking findings that reveal the highest rates in the world of documented strandings related to fishery
activity this week in the journal Endangered Species Research. They know that fishing operations accidentally killed the North Pacific loggerhead
turtles that turned up on a 27-mile stretch of beach from 2003 to 2007. In some cases, there was evidence of poaching.
In an amazing feat, the turtles travel more than 7,000 miles from Japan to Baja California Sur to feed for as long as 30 years along the shore. The
turtles then return to Japan to breed.
In the past 10 years, the number of nesting females in Japan has declined by 50 to 80 percent, according to Hoyt Peckham, a graduate student who is
leading the study.
The environmental group, Ocean Conservancy, has been making headway working with the local fishermen through its SEE Turtles program, which links
travelers with conservation sites. The tourist dollars bring money to community residents who protect the loggerhead turtles.
The local fishermen are working with the Mexican government to designate a sea turtle refuge that would officially protect an area that the
researchers have identified as a "hotspot" where many of the turtles come to harm, say UC scientists. Part of the refuge plan would be to encourage
sustainable fishing practices for people who have always
Any ideas from locals and seasonals about how this condition may be coming about?
Thanks for caring.
Skip
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Sad indeed.... any photos to go along with these numbers reported? 'Fishing operations' means netting, you think?
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
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Location: Loreto
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My observation is that Mexico is adding environmental window dressing to cover up essentially unregulated fishing. A "Shark Norma" that claims to
reform a disappearing shark fishery really enables fishing for dorado, marlin and sailfish. "Protected areas" and "biosphere reserves" that host
unlimited use of gillnets, hooka diving and "pistolero" spear fishing, while allocating enforcement efforts to collecting "wristband" fees from low
impact visitors. And plenty of "feel good" turtle programs that don't effectively address dead turtles on the beaches and on the kitchens.
One hopeful sign is that some of the advocates of these ineffective programs do mean well, are determined to make them more effective, and may grow in
stature and political clout while the old guard declines. Let's hope so, for the sake of the turtles, the reef fish, and the pelagic fishes.
Yeah, yeah, mention nets and stuff and Don gets on his soapbox again. 
Contribute to Seawatch.com and The Billfish Foundation.
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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Boy, Don is right on the money here. We have all these programs in Mexico but most, if not all, turn out to be nothing more than window dressing. I
suspect the only bright spot on the coast is Cabo Pulmo but I must admit that I do not live close enough to really know what is going on there and I
suspect that there is at least some poaching.
The one place where things are tenous but seem to be getting better is Abreojos, La Bocana, and Asuncion. Due to the absolute and specific control
of the Coops, there is not only no poaching allowed, but the harvest is very tightly controlled and monitored because it is directly tied to the
economic well being of the community. Stocks are doing well, lobster and abalone are being harvested in record numbers and fishing this year has been
completely off of the charts. But I would dare anyone to go to that area and try to slip over the side of the boat and pull a couple of lobsters
from a trap, or slip a couple of abalone in your bucket, or catch over your limit, and you are in big trouble. The contrast of that situation and the
lax and non-existent control in the area of Santa Rosalia, Mulege, or Bay of Los Angeles is almost comic. So my guess is that the solution will never
come out of Mexico city but may in fact come from the localization of the coop effort.
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LOSARIPES
Nomad
Posts: 283
Registered: 8-14-2008
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A few years ago, friends and I gathered and went camping to Cabo Pulmo area. We drove off San Jose dirt road, passing through all those beautiful
beaches. When we finally reached CP, we went around the little town, driving around. It was a Sunday early PM. At least 3 friends of my friend were
having a backyard party with beer and all, enjoying a "Caguamada".... (turtle soup/stew)
The tradition is here to stay.... caguamada.... as long as there are caguamas...
Aripes
God bless America
and Baja tambien
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1000lbBlue
Junior Nomad
Posts: 25
Registered: 7-10-2008
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Every time I read the always bad news about sea turtles I get a little peeed off. I have been part of the wildcoast/costasalvaje organization for
awhile. The website is:
http://www.wildcoast.net
http://www.wildcoast.net/site/images/stories/newsletters/wil...
Check it out its worth your time. The second pdf is the news letter and it will show how the organization actually works to help. Very interesting.
Serge Dedina has done many great things for Baja and locally in SoCal. Good man and good cause.
[Edited on 10-16-2008 by 1000lbBlue]
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ecomujeres
Nomad
Posts: 299
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Mulege, BCS & Oakland, CA
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Ditto that, 1000lbBlue. I've been involved with turtle conservation efforts carried out through WildCoast, Propeninsula and Grupo Tortuguero since
2000. Conservation in Baja is working. At least 29 communities across the peninsula and in Sonora and Sinaloa are actively working on the issue. For
more info, also see:
www.grupotortuguero.org (spanish and english)--
www.propeninsula.org
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