Shark Norma

Everyone who is interested in the Sea of Cortez should be aware of the changes to fisheries managment under the new law known as the Shark Norma or NOM-029. The Shark Norma opens the Sea of Cortez to large commercial fishing boats and allows the retention of dorado and marlin "bycatch" caught while fishing for sharks. Previously, waters within 50 kilometers of shore were closed to large fishing boats effectively blocking them from the narrow Sea of Cortez and species such as marlin, dorado, and roosterfish were reserved for sportfishing.

As feared, commercial boats are targeting dorado. This week, the Baja Big Fish Company posted pictures of a seiner wrapping kelp patties off Loreto. The location, rougly 20 miles offshore and 20 miles north of Carmen Island, is one of the prime sportfishing areas. The Google Earth image below shows the location.


Pictures of the Seiner are at:
http://bajabigfish.com/fly_report.html

For more information on the Shark Norma see:

www.bajabigfish.com

www.seawatch.org

www.billfish.org

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/InNews/destruction2007.html

http://www.igfa.org/shark_norma_emailSend.asp

http://roadtrekker.blogspot.com/2008/04/shark-minerva-vs-shark-norma.html

http://roadtrekker.blogspot.com/2008/06/shark-norma-nom-029-defended.html