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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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Our First Biosphere Reserve Bracelets in Asuncion!!!
Today was an exciting day for us as it was our first tour using the new Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve "bracelet" system. Nomads Carlos and his son Benito
show off their wristwear before setting out to Isla Asuncion to shmooze with the sea lions.
the newly painted Sirena was happy to get her tail wet too!
So a heads up to visitors to mid baja...all tourist service providers must have a special biosphere reserve permit and you must purchase the bracelet
for $5 a day per person.
I just bought a dozen so we will have them on hand here to make it easier for our clients.
[Edited on 6-22-2009 by shari]
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Paulina
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I wonder if the same process is being implemented over in Bahia?
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Bajaboy
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Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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So who exactly must purchase a bracelet?
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flyfishinPam
Super Nomad
Posts: 1727
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Loreto, BCS
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Mood: gone fishin'
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At least yours aren't bright pink like here. kinda funny having to make fishermen wear bright pink bracelets. maybe next year they'll decide to make
them in rainbow.
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flyfishinPam
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Location: Loreto, BCS
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Mood: gone fishin'
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajaboy
So who exactly must purchase a bracelet? |
any non resident of the biosphere, Mexican or otherwise
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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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If you plan on being anywhere in a biosphere reserve in mexico for more than a week, it's better to get the passport for 260 pesos which is good for
any reserve in the country for a year...
I believe BOLA has the system and juans cousin Tobi is in charge of the biosphere reserve office there where you get the bracelets.
This also includes areas like La Bocana, Abreojos, Loreto, GN, Turtle Bay etc. I have been told Campo Rene and the fishing coop in La bocana will also
be issueing the bracelets.
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Bajaboy
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Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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So let me get this straight...anyone visiting BA must purchase one? So when our neighbor's family of 6 come over from Santa Rosalia they must
purchase one? When a delivery is made, the driver must get one? When sailors come ashore for a bite to eat, they must get one?
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shari
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Posts: 13048
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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 asked Javier,the reserve rep today to clarify who does and does not need the permit and he said he would use his "criteria"...hmmm this could get
interesting. He said people just visiting wouldnt need one "in his opinion" but those who go fishing, or use tourist services like guiding to the cave
paintings, whale watching, etc...would need one. Javier is a surfer and according to the internet regulations, anyone using the park...boogie
boarding, swimming, surfing, camping on the beach, bike riding says need the permit...but when I asked Jaime about the surfer dudes...he hummed and
hawed and didnt answer....while I dont think much of the regs, I respect them and will play by the rule....as long as everyone else does too....why
should our clients have to get the permits and the surfers dont???? I can see this might become a sticky issue. since it is a new thing...there will
be bugs that need to be worked out in the system.
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Bajaboy
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Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Hey Shari-
Where can we find out about the fees online? Who administers the program? I took a quick look at the State Tourism Website and didn't see any
mention of this fee. Seems like you're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. We'll talk more next week when I get to town.
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DianaT
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The good thing about the fees is that the money stays local---it is used for projects on the Preserve. I believe the same is true with the fees being
charged in Loreto for fishing etc. in that Preserve.
And yes, it is only fair if all the tourist services and fishing guides in town have to follow these rules --- and from what we have been told, that
is the way it is.
If you want to see the local headquarters that are in Guerrero Negro, check out this Parks Watch Website Lots of information.
[Edited on 6-22-2009 by jdtrotter]
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Bajaboy
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So Diane, can you define who is a tourist and who is not? Maybe San Diego should come up with a similar program?
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajaboy
So Diane, can you define who is a tourist and who is not? Maybe San Diego should come up with a similar program? |
They do---it is called a room tax and taxes on tourist attractions. And yes, there are some places like Balboa Park a tourist can visit with out a
fee, but not if they take advantage of any of the museums, etc.
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redmesa
Senior Nomad
Posts: 580
Registered: 3-12-2008
Location: Van Isle and Bahia Asuncion
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Life just keeps getting more complicated and interesting. Diane do you need a bracelet. Do I need a bracelet to wear around town for 6 or so
months? When are you a tourist and when are you a resident?
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by redmesa
Life just keeps getting more complicated and interesting. Diane do you need a bracelet. Do I need a bracelet to wear around town for 6 or so
months? When are you a tourist and when are you a resident? |
We have our FM3s and own property, so no, from what we have been told.
Cannot believe how uptight everyone seems to be getting over this. Fees to help project for the Preserve are a good thing. In the US all of our
parks charge, and in Canada, the charges for using their parks are VERY expensive for us.
Friends told us that even though they have their FM3s, they still had to pay the fees to fish in Loreto because their FM3s are from a different
district.
So, Bahia Asuncion as a part of the Biosphere, the same as the Whale lagoons, is now enforcing the tax for tourist services in order to help the area.
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longlegsinlapaz
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Is there anyone who can explain the difference between Biosphere vs Preserve & what the definition is for each? Is/are they specific areas like
parks or is the entire town of Asuncion included in the Biosphere/Preserve? What defines the boundaries....or is it activity driven?? If you come to
town, but don't fish/surf/camp do you have to buy a bracelet every day? Or is it just the days you do go fishing, for example? What if you just rent
a room & lay in the sun on the hotel property?
Are biospheres/preserves all over? Will I be hit up to buy a bracelet the next time I go out to Balandra or Tecolote for the day....until I show
proof of local residency?? How does anybody know where they need to buy a bracelet to go or do?
It sounds like it's a tourist/visitor issue & that permanent full-time residents or property owners are exempt; possibly because they pay local
property taxes & visitors don't....but there is the hotel/rental tax....just thinking out loud here! However, I don't think the rental taxes stay locally.
But I gotta say that $67.27 pesos ($5 USD at today's 13.454 exchange rate) per day does seem kinda stiff! Especially for Mexican families who might
visit or want to spend a day on the beach.
But I do think it's great that the the money (I assume 100% of it or possibly minus the cost of manufacturing the bracelets) does stay there in the
immediate community for total community benefit.
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redmesa
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Location: Van Isle and Bahia Asuncion
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Hey, I am not uptight... and being a Canadian I have no fear of taxes. I just have clarity issues and I do not want to wear a bracelet. People do
get curious (more the word for me than uptight) about new laws and regulations. A tax is anonymous a badge or bracelet is not.
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fishbuck
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Registered: 8-31-2006
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I think I would get the annual one.
I not opposed to this idea. It sounds good! But what benefit does it really create for the people who purchase them?
It doesn't seem to keep the poachers out of the Loreto preserve.
So $5 seems fair if there is a tangible benefit. What is the tangible benefit?
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I wonder if they really think that adding a new fee/ tax (to the already low number of tourists) is somehow going to make more people want to come to
Mexico???
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by redmesa
Hey, I am not uptight... and being a Canadian I have no fear of taxes. I just have clarity issues and I do not want to wear a bracelet. People do
get curious (more the word for me than uptight) about new laws and regulations. A tax is anonymous a badge or bracelet is not.
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I am sorry---knowing you, I do not see you as an uptight person, but some are.
First of all, these are not NEW taxes, just newly enforced and a good thing for the benefit of the Preserve. I understand what you are saying about
anonymous, but we think about it as similar to having your hand stamped when leaving a tourist attraction to show you already paid.
Preserves in Mexico are very different than in other places---they still allow farming and other commercial activity. And all of Bahia Asuncion is a
part of the Preserve---a beautiful place to be, but it is on the Preserve.
Yes, the days are slipping away where one could simply drive out there and hire a fisherman to take them fishing, or as we did many years ago, hire a
fisherman to take you whale watching. It is not a judgment call, just reality.
It does not seem there will be a kiosk for anyone entering the Preserve for anytime in the near future, but the tourist service providers will need to
support the Preserve by making sure their clients are in compliance.
Is suporting the local projects to preserve the future such a big deal? Gees
How many of you have paid for the bracelets to fish in Loreto? Bahia Asuncion is less and less becoming the boondocks, for better or for worse.
[Edited on 6-23-2009 by jdtrotter]
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fishbuck
"Is suporting the local projects to preserve the future such a big deal"
What projects? Like I said, what are the tangible benefits? Or is this just another $5 that creates some useless job for somebody.
Is anyone actually doing anythere to protect and improve the preserve. Or is collecting $5 all there is to it? |
It is a choice---no one has to fish or take advantage of any other tourist service in Bahia Asunsion.
LIke anywhere else, if one does not like the policy, they do not have to visit.
[Edited on 6-23-2009 by jdtrotter]
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