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Bajaboy
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Billfish Foundation study generates action in Mexican Senate
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3760055&type=sto...
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A recently released economic study commissioned by The Billfish Foundation (TBF) on the billion dollar-plus annual impact sport
fishing brings to Mexico's greater Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos region, has caught the keen attention and responsive actions of two of Mexico's senators.
Citing TBF's research on the value of sport fishing to the economy of Baja California Sur and all of Mexico, Senators Luis Coppola Joffroy and
Humberto Andrade Quezada have placed upon the floor of the Mexican Senate an ambitious effort to utilize sport fishing as an economic development tool
for all of coastal Mexico.
Of immediate importance is a proposal to amend Mexico's national fisheries law to specifically state that marlins, sailfish, swordfish, rooster fish
and dorado are to be used exclusively for sport fishing and that these species may not be sold, even if taken as by-catch by commercial fisheries.
Recent attempts by Mexico's fisheries agency, CONAPESCA, to establish liberal by-catch allowances for billfish, dorado and other species have drawn
sharp criticism from sportfishing and conservation organizations.
"Once passed into law this clarifying language should prevent bureaucrats in CONAPESCA from ever again tampering with Mexico's historically profound
sportfishing conservation regime," said Dr. Russell Nelson, TBF's chief scientist. The action was based off the comprehensive 126-page research study
conducted in 2007 and 2008 to estimate the dollars, jobs and tax revenues created by anglers focusing on Baja Sur's "sport fishing triangle" showing
the enormous effect sport fishing tourism brings to the area. The region includes the Los Cabos communities of East Cape, San Jose del Cabo and Cabo
San Lucas, all once small fishing locales.
In recent years, the region has become a major North American tourist destination driven heavily by its world-class striped marlin fishery. In turn,
sport fishing has also become a major provider of jobs — over 24,000 — and has brought a huge revenue stream of dollars into Mexico's economy.
Nelson, along with Guillermo Alvarez, TBF's Mexican conservation director said information was needed to communicate the importance of the Los Cabos
fisheries to its local, state and national leaders.
Headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., The Billfish Foundation works with governments worldwide advancing the conservation of billfish and associated
species to improve the health of oceans and regional economies. It has been assisting in the Baja Sur region since 2002.
Besides Mexico's state and federal government officials, TBF President Ellen Peel said the report was distributed to industry and academic interests
in Mexico as well. The results will also be presented before the national Chamber of Commerce in Mexico City in January.
The study showed in 2007, 354,013 people, most all of them international visitors, fished in Los Cabos. While there they spent an estimated $633.6
million dollars for lodging, charter boats, food, transportation, tackle, fuel, and more. These expenditures started a series of cascading economic
effects in the local economy, creating: 24,426 jobs, $245.5 U.S. million in local and federal tax revenues, and $1.125 U.S. billion in total economic
activity.
Additional benefits accrued were Los Cabos angler expenditures generating an added $145 U.S. million to Mexico's Gross Domestic Product; 10,469
additional jobs created elsewhere in Mexico and $75 U.S. million in taxes added to the federal coffers.
But the area has long attracted the interests of Mexico's "fishing mafia," and illegal foreign commercial long-liners and netters in the Sea of Cortez
(Gulf of California) waters and Pacific Ocean coasts.
Nelson said 88 percent of international anglers who have fished in Cabo said they would be less likely to return if they knew the commercial harvest
of billfish increased.
The report revealed the most targeted species of interest for sport fishermen were dorado (also known as dolphinfish and mahi-mahi) registering nearly
95 percent with a success catch rate of over 81 percent. Marlin were second at nearly 90 percent with a success rate of over 82 percent and tuna were
the third most popular at over 86 percent with a 75 percent success rate among the 10 species listed.
Juvenile dorado and tuna are also part of the food chain for the migrating billfish. The dorado, a species that under Mexican fisheries law is
supposed to be strictly relegated for sport fishing, has for years attracted the interests of illegal commercial fishing. A highly controversial new
regulation — NOM-029 — allows for the "incidental" harvest of billfish, dorado and other species within Mexico's 24 year-old conservation zones.
Recent seizures of illegal dorado catches in double digit tonnage have also produced headlines in Mexican newspapers and attention to its commercial
fishing mafia.
Multiple tons of the illegal dorado catches, intentionally mislabeled, have crossed into the United States by semi-tractor trailer trucks through
Arizona (Nogales) and California (Tijuana).
"This destructively affects fishing resources and the millions in tourist dollars that also support sport fishing such as catch-and-release for
striped marlin in the region," said Nelson.
"This has been an up-and-down year for TBF in Mexico," said Ms. Peel," but we have ended 2008 with a huge success. Dr. Nelson's work with our economic
study and Alvarez's commitment to unyielding advocacy before the Mexican government has turned the tide."
"Senators Coppola and Andrade should be hailed as true leaders in Mexico as they both clearly see that promoting sustainable development based on
carefully managed sport fishing tourism is an economic and ecological win-win situation for that nation," emphasized Peel. "These two men are fighting
for the region's life blood that is within the marine waters of the region — to destroy this resource would be economic suicide to thousands of jobs
in Mexico."
The Cabo research study was produced by Southwick Associates, Inc. of Fernandina Beach, Fla., Nelson Resources Consulting, Inc. of Oakland Park, Fla.
and Firmus Consulting of Mexico City, Mexico.
The complete report (in English and Spanish), along with all survey results, is available online at the TBF Web site, www.billfish.org.
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Russ
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Very good news! Now for a little action in this same direction from La Paz north would be nice. Once law enforcement side of this takes place in the
Cabo area the fish mafia will just move north to do their dirty deeds. I hope someday that TBF will do it's magic here.
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BajaBruno
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This might be a good opportunity for Mexico to take a lesson from countries a little south of them and require circle hooks for billfish while
prohibiting any kills. Enforcement is much easier when there is a total ban on killing.
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
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Osprey
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Bruno, in the charter sportfishing arena we all need the cooperation of the whole charter/tournament business. On the hundreds of charter boats down
south here, when sight and or bait fishing for marlin and other billfish the marinaro, deck hand or captain present the bait, hook the fish up, then
hand the rod to the client. They have all been trained to wait for the bait to be eaten, gulped down in the gut and gullet of the big fish before they
set the hook. Better hope all the people on all the boats now know how to use a circle hook for lip catches to enjoy the fight but save the fish.
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Dave
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Better hope all the people on all the boats now know how to use a circle hook for lip catches to enjoy the fight but save the fish.
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While I favor strictly enforced limits for all species, I'd rather see the billfish commercially fished out than protected for a
sportfisher's amusement. I oppose this ammendment and hope the proposal fails.
Catch and eat them. Don't release them.
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Cypress
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Dave, They'll be fished-out by the sports crowd and/or the commercial boats. Sorta
like being killed by a bullet or a knife.
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Osprey
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Dave, Cypress, what are you willing to donate to the people who last year, in Los Cabos alone, fed their families on the 630 million U.S. dollars that
came their way because sportfishermen came down here to try to catch and release billfish? You're pretty cavalier in your attitudes -- you don't think
it's good, you don't like it -- we get that. What else do you have to say?
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norte
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Yes. But look who commissioned the study. Wouldn't be slanted would it?
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Osprey
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yeah, you're right. Profit motive. No bueno. Damn gringo capitalists.
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norte
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Hey. just keeping things honest, Little touchy aren't you.
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Bajaboy
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Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that sportfishing benefits the Los Cabos region. No fish, no money....pretty simple to me.
zac
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Dave
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Dave, Cypress, what are you willing to donate to the people who last year, in Los Cabos alone, fed their families on the 630 million U.S. dollars that
came their way because sportfishermen came down here to try to catch and release billfish? You're pretty cavalier in your attitudes -- you don't
think it's good, you don't like it -- we get that. What else do you have to say? |
I'm just voicing an opinion about something over which I have zero control. I have no vote in the Mexican senate. No influence. What else
could I say?
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Osprey
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Congress
Please leave the Congress alone. Given too much info makes them prone to bickering.
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Iflyfish
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I have little faith in human nature where natural resources are concerned and lots of faith in greed.
Iflyfish
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Osprey
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You got it flyguy! This big fat report was to show the Congress they can make zillions more in tourism now and in the future if they protect their
marine resources -- much more than the profits from selling all the fish in their jurisdiction to those who, if left alone to do it, might empty the
SOC and all Mexico's coastal waters of every saleable living organism. Life is a circle -- a tradeoff. It is never fair. It now remains what kinds and
how much greed will prevail.
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Russ
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Man this went South FAST! I was hoping that there would be some hopeful discussions. Like, "WOW, that'd be really good for the area". I'm trying to
think of some examples where regulations have worked in the past. Help?
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Osprey
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There are some who would say the cod/pollock limits in the Bering Sea are working. The season is 50 days, once the boats reach their allowable
tonnage, they stop fishing. The SOC could use that kind of conservation process but IFLY and others are right that in the past, so many efforts have
failed in Mexico because of greed and/or corruption. I just send in a few bucks and tons of letters cause it's all I know how to do.
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Dave
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At what moral cost?
| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
This big fat report was to show the Congress they can make zillions more in tourism now and in the future if they protect their marine
resources -- |
I read the report.
I am shocked by the amount of money spent on what I consider torture. I don't expect a billfisher to understand and don't suppose there is anything I
can do about it.
Sad. 
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Osprey
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I'm not a billfisher and I DON'T understand.
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Dave
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
I'm not a billfisher and I DON'T understand. |
Would you think the experience pleasurable for the marlin?
I don't oppose catching fish for sustenance.
But solely for sport?
That's cruelty. 
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