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Mangopop
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Posted: Fri Jun 30th, 2006 11:54 am |
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Hi!
I was just curious if anyone knew about trawling practices in the Sea of Cortez? Is there any? And does anyone understand about coral reefs as nurseries for fish there? I will admit to be somewhat ignorant about fishing as a sport, but, I'm interested in fish populations. I do know that fish populations, worldwide, are on the decline. But, this is, in part, due to coral nurseries being destroyed. And thus, fewer, and smaller fish.
Has anyone thought that Global warming may have something to do with it? I think, immediately, for the Sea of Cortez, it may have to do with pollution. But, I don't have any research for your immediate viewing on the subject. However, I would think that would be very easy to look up. (I would be happy to do more research and provide more info. )
I've been snorkling around the area, and have noticed that most of the coral reefs are bleaching, and, therefore, dying. Unfortunately, these are also the main nurseries for big game fish also. I know, because I was part of a research group that did a study that found that most fish larvae return to the breeding grounds of the parents after long voyages up and down the coast. (info available upon request.)
That's why I asked about trawling, pollution, and Global warming. It damages breeding grounds. And, consequently fish populations and growth.
I just thought I could ask these questions here because, I thought, as fishermen, this might be of concern for you. And, as sportsmen, you might pay more attention to what's happening in your more immediate fishing grounds. You know, because it might be important to know for your future fishing pleasure.
So, any info. you can give me I would greatly appreciate.
Thank you in advance.
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Stuart
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Posted: Fri Jun 30th, 2006 06:02 pm |
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Well, one really needs to look no further than the harbors at both Puerto Penasco and Guaymas at the shrimp fleets. The shrimpers have bottom trawled the northern Sea of Cortez (above the Midriffs) extensively for decades. The water is much shallower in the northern Sea of Cortez, generally not more 300 ft. in most places and is primarily sandy bottom, not coral reefs.
To their credit, most of the shrimp boat captains know where the reefs are and avoid them because they do not want to damage or lose their trawling gear by hitting the reefs. If you want good GPS coordinates for reef fishing, get to know a shrimp boat captain. They often have a whole book of coordinates.
I have boarded a shrimper or two while they've been sitting on anchor. Mainly to trade some beer or a few bucks for some bait. The amount of by-catch is incredible. Mostly juvenile species of fish; many unrecognizable.
The camarón catch used to be abundant, but has dwindled over the years. A shrimping season was put in place. This has helped, but the fact is that shrimpers these days are lucky if they catch enough shrimp to cover their fuel costs. It's a dying industry in the Sea of Cortez.
There was a fairly well-known incident that occurred in Puerto Penasco a few years ago when the Mexican government created the Biosphere Reserve. The Reserve is basically anything north of an imaginary line drawn between Puerto Penasco and San Felipe. This area was designated off-limits to all commercial fishing. Traditionally, this had been fertile shrimping grounds. The shrimpers ignored the creation of the Reserve and continued to cross the line in defiance. The Mexican government sent the Mexican Navy to enforce the boundary. For months, several Mexican destroyers and cruisers policed the line and kept the shrimpers out. The shrimpers, in protest, picked a holiday weekend and shut down the main road (basically the only road) in and out of Penasco, stranding many tourists. They maintained the road block the entire holiday weekend. The police were pretty much powerless to do anything. After several days of negotiation and threats of sending in the Mexican Army to handle the matter, the protest ended. However, the shrimpers had made their point by affecting the tourist dollars that flow into the economy.
Today, much of that has been forgotten. The shrimp fleet in Puerto Penasco is dwindling and is all but gone. Even though there are large fuel tanks, there is no diesel fuel available for them in the harbor. They must fill their tanks in Guaymas. The real estate around the harbor in Puerto Penasco has become too valuable. As the town has watched the rise of mega-condos all along Sandy Beach, many eyes now see huge dollar signs for the harbor. They want the shrimp fleet gone so that the industrial harbor space can be developed into condos and hotels with private slips for the rich gringos. It is happening slowly, but surely.
Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to be in Puerto Penasco for the blessing of the fleet and the start of the shrimp season. There were fiestas all over town, parades and watching all the boats launch from the harbor with fresh paint and men full of hope about the upcoming shrimp season was an inspiring event. Very proud people who had for generations made a good living and raised their families with the camarón. Sadly for them, that tradition is ending, even though it's such positive step for the Sea of Cortez.
Puerto Penasco is transitioning and is prospering. They are replacing the pesos made with the camarón with dollars from tourists who will gladly pay to go out on a boat and see a whale, a school of dolphins, or swim with the sea lions. Or those who will pay to go out and catch a few fish. The influx of real estate dollars has had a huge impact on the town. But, that's a different story.
While I agree to some extent about the coral reefs, they are not the issue in the northern Sea of Cortez. The biggest problem is the lack of fresh water flowing into the Sea of Cortez from the Colorado River. The US sucks virtually every last drop of water out of the Colorado before it hits the border. What does flow into the Sea of Cortez is a highly-evaporated, calcified sludge. This has been responsible for destroying what was one of the most diverse delta breeding habitats and fish nurseries on the planet.
Take a trip to San Felipe by road sometime. You'll see nothing but mile upon mile of salt flats that used to be rich riparian land. Gone. It has displaced indigenous peoples and wiped out species like the totuava and vaquita. It will only get worse unless somebody, somehow can convince California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah to stop treating the Colorado like a kid with a straw trying to suck the last drop out of a bottle of pop. I'm not a Greenpeace or Earth First activist, I'm a simple fisherman. Some of the dams need to come down and the Colorado needs to be restored to some decent percentage of its historical flow into the Sea of Cortez. That single step will be instrumental in helping to undo so much of the ecological damage that man has done to the Sea of Cortez over the past 100 years.
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peg
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Posted: Fri Jun 30th, 2006 06:26 pm |
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Stuart wrote: I'm not a Greenpeace or Earth First activist, I'm a simple fisherman. Some of the dams need to come down and the Colorado needs to be restored to some decent percentage of its historical flow into the Sea of Cortez. That single step will be instrumental in helping to undo so much of the ecological damage that man has done to the Sea of Cortez over the past 100 years.
Stewart, what a refreshingly candid and unbiased analysis of the current situation in the Sea of Cortez. Thank you for the historical perspective.
Go see Al Gore's movie, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. You won't be sorry. Ignore the political clap trap and concentrate on the pictures from space and the graphics. They are a devastating indictment of our current practices and policies.
I'm damn mad about it, and I'm not going to take it anymore!
Last edited on Sat Jul 1st, 2006 04:34 am by peg
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Mangopop
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Posted: Fri Jun 30th, 2006 06:55 pm |
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Hmmm....unfortunately I don't think you'll get the U.S. to give up it's water. At least, not with the current administration in power.
Otherwise it sounds like the Mexican government may need to implement a fishery management plan. Which, of course, wouldn't affect sport fisherman that much. But, for commercial fisherman, it would affect them a great deal. However, if things keep going the way you make it sound then there wouldn't be anything left to fish anyway. It's a tough call because everyone wants to be able to fish today and tomorrow, and profit today and tomorrow as well.
Maybe the Mexican government should call the U.S. on it's right to water. Hmmm....lots of controversy.
Thoughts?
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Stuart
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Posted: Fri Jun 30th, 2006 07:44 pm |
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Mexico has called the US to task on this issue several times over the years. Basically, we've been giving them highly saline sludge and calling it "water" for years.
There is an excellent series of related articles on this issue located here:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/misc/delta06
If anyone is interested, there is an excellent history concerning Mexico's water rights and US attempts to placate the situation here: http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/html/yumadesalt.html
The bottom line is that the US is not going to give up a single drop of water from the Colorado that is doesn't have to.
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fishinmagishin
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Posted: Fri Jun 30th, 2006 11:56 pm |
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True the indigenous Mexicans will continue to have a problem with marine resources in the SoC.. Several threads ago was some stimulating dialog on the past with reflection on the future..
I think the sport fishery in the SoC will be vastly improved.. Here is why.. Aquaculture, just a simple Google inquiry will result in much information on pen reared pelagics.. True, not much in the SoC yet, but in Ensenada a thriving Blue Fin tuna farm is well underway with more planned..
Mahi-Mahi are being pen reared in Hawaii.. 80% + shrimp consumed are pen reared.. I think (uh-oh) that just south of Rocky point is a oyster or shrimp farm.. Stuart will probably know..
These endeavors will probably reduce the price of the pen reared fish to the point the Mexicans will drop long lining all together.. Jobs will be created by these aquafarms for the Mexicans.. They will need to continue looking for alternative occupations anyway.. They are equally to blame for 'scouring' the SoC..
I believe Bart was considering CPR for 'Amigos' name and start the process of a sportsmen's club in SC..
It's all good....
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AZKLMSR
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Posted: Mon Jul 3rd, 2006 03:36 pm |
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My first trip to SC was in the summer of 1974 at the age of 12. Trawlers out of Guaymas came into the marina inlet in SC and let out their nets and cleaned that area out. The fishing fleet, has been as long as I've been down there, their own worst enemy.
The panga fisherman are just barely getting by. With fuel higher, many will have to find a new trade, but I also believe the aquaculture drive will be the biggest change. Shrimp fleets around the world are going out of exisistance because they cannot compete with farmed shrimp. Gulf of Mexico is a prime example. Fsh will follow. next time your at the super market in the states, check out the fish fare. In mine, all of the shrimp is farmed, and the fish that is reasonably priced is farm raised
I honestly feel for the people, but commercial fishing practices have rarely been enviromentaly friendly. The parallel is market hunting, which is pretty dry in most of the world.
With commercial fishing trending down, the stocks will recover. In SC over the last few years I've seen a significant increase in the numbers of juvinile fish in the reefs. This year, hundreds of small trigger fish, which were pretty shot out for a while. I'm seeing a lot more young grouper and snapper of many variaties, and yes I think I'm seeing fewer pangas, but that is my guess, not quantified.
Lobsters are few and far between.
Kurt
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Dave Harcourt
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Posted: Tue Jul 4th, 2006 02:33 pm |
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Kurt,
You may be right but the process is very slow. I think we need to help push the process along. Try this scenario:
Sonora wins its fight to gain control of the license revenue. The governor is sincere about increasing fish stocks and enforcement of fishing regulations. The commercial fisherpersons are converted to fish raisers and the sport fishery recovers.
That will only happen if everyone cooperates. Difficult but not impossible. It will take a lot of time and effort. What a legacy we could leave for our own children and the Mexican poor fishermen. We as responsable sport fisherpersons need to put whatever pressure on the politicos to make this happen.
Wanna help?
What if 10,000 sport fishermen were like minded and bought a membership into an asscociation to promote this project. What if that association funded some serious research into how to make it happen?
I like the scenario. Does anyone else? Who will do it?
You and I that's who. 
Dave Harcourt
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AZKLMSR
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Posted: Tue Jul 4th, 2006 10:26 pm |
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I'd buy in.
$100 a head to do wonders.
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