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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Abalone season opens in Asuncion
I wasn't sure to put this under fishing, camping or food thread although like baja..it's all about the food! Abalone season opened for the commercial
fishermen here so we bundled up the animals and moved the show out to San Roque for the week. There are 16 boats diving for yellow abalone..the
highest quality here...they leave the puertito around 6:00 and are back by 10:00 with somewhere between 100-150 abalone per boat which is the daily
quota. There has been a big swell this week which makes it more difficult for the divers.While Juan is out there in the wind and waves, I am running
on the beach...collecting caracoles for lunch...picking flowers in the arroyo, reading and playing the violin...tough life I know. Yesterday a camper
came in and parked across from our cabin...it was the windiest time of the day and the couple got out...snapped a couple of pictures and LEFT!!!!
whew... this photo is of the pangas as they race back to the barn and unload their abs onto the big truck in the cove.
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BirdDog
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Posts: 182
Registered: 3-9-2007
Location: Iowa
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Mood: Desperate to move to Baja
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Beautiful. Can't wait to be there when we can share some of the view, beer and abalone. Seems just like yesterday that we had the same view of the
lobster guys.
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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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This picture is the big payoff! Each fisherman gets 4 abalone a week to eat. So we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate the first abalone of the
season and shared this plate of gold with our housesitter/amigo Kevin....(would you house sit for abalone?) A regal feast to be sure...totally stuffed
ourselves till we couldn't eat another bite...all you can eat abalone??? Wonder what the rich folks are having for dinner?
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BirdDog
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Posts: 182
Registered: 3-9-2007
Location: Iowa
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Mood: Desperate to move to Baja
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I am now the offical housesitter in Asuncion.
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Ken Bondy
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Registered: 12-13-2002
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shari it is so good to hear that there are still abundant abalone in your area. They have for all practical purposes disappeared in the Channel
Islands. I used to see them on every dive, all flavors, pinks, whites, reds, and thousands of blacks. No more. Thanks for this post. Jeez that
plate full of them looks good. Do you go through the pounding ritual?
++Ken++
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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Oh yes Ken, pounding is the key to melt in your mouth abs...Juan is a master at this...we used to have blacks here too but they all got wiped out in
the El Niño in the late 80's. The reason we still have abs here is the fantasic job the coops do at protecting their resource with small quotas and
24/7 patrols by sea and land to deter poaching. Juan says the population looks very healthy, they are fat and numerous and the kelp beds are huge this
year too.
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Pescador
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Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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It is too bad that the coop idea has not spread into the other areas of Baja. I see a significant difference between the sea life in the areas like
Abreojos, La Bocana, and Asuncion as compared with all the other areas on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja. I am sure there must be negative sides to
the issue, but from a true conservation standpoint it sure looks like they are doing a great job over there.
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DianaT
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Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pescador
It is too bad that the coop idea has not spread into the other areas of Baja. I see a significant difference between the sea life in the areas like
Abreojos, La Bocana, and Asuncion as compared with all the other areas on the Sea of Cortez side of Baja. I am sure there must be negative sides to
the issue, but from a true conservation standpoint it sure looks like they are doing a great job over there. |
We have been very impressed with how the coops in Bahia Asuncion run business and how future oriented they are. Every lobster measured, abalone
counted, etc. They seem to be quite strict and the patrols are back and forth 24/7. Our favorite patrol is the little white fluffy dog who rides in
the lap of one of the guys. Got to get his picture one of these days.
Shari,
Love the picture of the boats headed in---I just always love watching that, and well, San Roque is so great.
I laughed about the campers taking a couple of pix and leaving. Many are quite surprised by that afternoon wind.
Are you going back out to San Roque or is Juan going to work from BA?
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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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One of the only negative sides is that very few locals get to enjoy the local seafood like lobster and abalone. Before, the townfolk were given the
lobsters that couldn't be sold commercially...the ones with some legs eaten off...but then some fishermen spoiled that by ripping the legs off of
lobsters so they could bring them home...then sell them on the black market. rats...so now that giving of lobsters has been stopped so we rarely get
lobster anymore. So the vigilancia are very very strict now...but it's probably better anyway...less colesteral! The only way to curb black market
selling is to be extremely strict...the vigilancia check the fishermen's lunch boxes, boots etc...to make sure that they aren't hiding any contraband
abalone. I am proud of our vigilancia here and it makes our whole area safer too with round the clock patrols of the area...but it is very expensive
and does cut down on the profits earned by the fishermen...but without it there would be no profits!
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Stickers
Senior Nomad
Posts: 571
Registered: 4-12-2006
Location: SoCal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
This picture is the big payoff! Each fisherman gets 4 abalone a week to eat. So we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate the first abalone of the
season and shared this plate of gold with our housesitter/amigo Kevin....(would you house sit for abalone?) A regal feast to be sure...totally stuffed
ourselves till we couldn't eat another bite...all you can eat abalone??? Wonder what the rich folks are having for dinner? |
Shari, that plate of abalone would be worth about $5000(US) up here in norte cal. cant imagine how much it's worth in Japan. Makes my mouth water.
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Diver
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Registered: 11-15-2004
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I can personally attest to Juan's proficiency in preparing the Abs.
I never had anything like it ! Really good !!
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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I think I have an abalone hangover this morning, I gorfed down WAY to many of those gold medallions last night! Depending on the weather, Juan will
fish out of San Roque another couple of weeks then finish up the season with Isla Asuncion...anyone want to housesit?
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Bajagypsy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1416
Registered: 8-31-2006
Location: BahÃa Asuncion BCS
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Mood: Living the dream
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Pick me Pick me!!!
Sounds like you had a very relaxing time in San Roque, I'm glad!
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Wiles
Nomad
Posts: 337
Registered: 10-1-2006
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Shari,
Thanks for sharing. Gee, maybe you should change your member name to "Sharing".
I enjoy the 'insiders perspective' you bring to the table so to speak.
I have a couple of questions.
1) What is the minimum harvesting size for abs?
2) How many species are they harvesting?
3) Yellow abs are the same genus sp. as pink abs (Haliotis corrugata) ?
4) How many members in the coop?
5) Does Juan dive or tend? Or both?
Would love to see some close-up pics of the abs still in the shell.
Thanks
Wiles
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Wiles
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Posts: 337
Registered: 10-1-2006
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Ken,
What about greens, don't leave them out.
Yeah, I remember those days. I could limit out on greens at Santa Barbra Island in a 5 minute dive start to finish. And the San Nick reds seemed big
as hubcaps.
When I would come up on a good pocket of abs I would pop them off and lay them shell down, foot up while I popped the rest. Often would result in a
tug o war with a big morray. They seemed to like them as much as I did.
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Debra
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Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Shari, how long does the season last? You made my mouth water! I might just have to drive down from Bahia for a bite! YUM YUM!
Mean people suck!
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Ken Bondy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
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Mood: Mellow
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Wiles
Ken,
What about greens, don't leave them out.
Yeah, I remember those days. I could limit out on greens at Santa Barbra Island in a 5 minute dive start to finish. And the San Nick reds seemed big
as hubcaps.
When I would come up on a good pocket of abs I would pop them off and lay them shell down, foot up while I popped the rest. Often would result in a
tug o war with a big morray. They seemed to like them as much as I did. |
Absolutely right Wiles, forgot about the big greens! Thanks, ++Ken++
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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I commend your community Shari. These are good stewards, they protect and manage their livelyhood. Kudos!
It is so sad that the ideals and mindset vary in importance so widely. It is so out of kilter imo. On one side of Baja you have a concerted effort by
Mexican locals maintaining a viable fishery.
On the other side(literally) you have a bunch of independants or loosely organised fishermen who cannot or will not or do not practice the law of
protecting their interests.
Rather I feel it's more like, get it while you can, before the "big guys" do.
Lessons can be learned from others, and I don't mean Gringos.
----
Ah, the good ol days! Yep, CA was premier ab country in the 60s-70s. Then all hell broke loose Sta Barbara on south.
The fishery collapsed incredibly fast. Within ten yrs, most of the shallower water species were gone along the southern coastline. Blacks, greens
were just gone. Pinks were only being found deep.
The Channel Islands slowly lost large populations and the trend still continues.
While working on Catalina Is at a marine science center I was privy to some data and info regarding the large declines in lobster and abalone.
Numerous studies were undertaken to resolve the crisis and recreational as well as commercial interests were heavily scrutinized tho not necessarily
blamed for the declines.
While both these animals are highly desireable they also have complex life cycles Juvenile mortality is extremely high in their natural environments.
To this add pollution, increased populations of humans and global water temp changes and you have a potential recipe for disaster.
Like the Salmon crisis here(they say next year will be good??), many factors determine the fate of important animals. The effort to understand why,
how and WTF is happening is big but sorry, we need an explanation now.
Fortunately lobster are a bit more adaptable and haven't disappeared. Last I heard, abs are still disappearing. Shoot!
Sadly, the jury is still out.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Juan is back from harvesting rock to build our addition here and he says that what we call yellow abs are probably the pinks which is the top quality
for canning...they only harvest yellow and blue here and the minimum size for yellows are 13.5 cm and 14.5 cm for blues. There are 110 members in his
coop and there are 2 coops in our village. Juan is both a diver and tender depending on what boat he works on. Sharkie is right about the get while
the gettin's good on the gulf...here I'm sure they would do the same if it werent' controlled by the coops. The other coop has just begun an abalone
hatchery here so that in case of a collapse of the abalone species due to red tide, we will still have something to fall back on and can re-seed the
area...sounds like a good plan.
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Sharksbaja
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Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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Brilliant!
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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