Positive Developments in the Northern Sea of Cortez

This press release details some of the efforts in the Northern portion of the Sea of Cortez to reduce impacts to the critically endangered Vaquita. These tiny porpoises (less than 5 feet long) are only found in the upper Sea of Cortez and fewer than 600 remain - some estimates place the total population at slightly over 200 (vaquita.org). Efforts to protect them should have added benefits of rebuilding fisheries in the region.

Mexico Works to Protect Endangered Sea of Cortez Porpoise
Monday, December 29, 2008
Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources

During the first two years of government, President Felipe Calderón's administration assigned over $174 million pesos to promote actions to protect the vaquita porpoise, $157 million of which were allocated to conservation and technological and productive reconversion, and $25 million to actions to preserve biodiversity in the Vaquita Sanctuary.

Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada explained that these resources have enabled 836 boats to stop fishing in the Protection Polygon and engage in other kinds of activities, and permitted the cancellation of 1,044 fishing permits, making 1,200 square kilometers of the Vaquita Sanctuary free of fishing and incidental capture.

These activities have been carried out in addition to the inspection and surveillance work undertaken on a permanent basis by the Naval Secretariat and the Federal Environmental Protection Bureau.

The government official added that the National Institutes of Ecology and Fishing engage in experimental work to test new, alternative forms of fishing that will not harm the vaquita and protect the environment. These include the prototype of a light drag net, a net enabling larger species to escape and traps for catching scale fish and shrimp.

As part of Semarnat's commitment to ensure the care and protection of endangered species, Elvira Quesada reported that the Acoustic Monitoring Cruise Ship recently observed a group of vaquitas on the coast of the state of Sonora, a crucial phenomenon, since there have been no records of the mammal in this part of the Upper Gulf of California for the past ten years.

The monitoring, carried out by Mexican, U.S., Canadian, English, German and Japanese experts, showed that the pod of porpoise detected is in good health and has not registered a decline in its population, estimated at 150.

He explained that the cruise ship's crew includes researchers from the Marine Mammals' Program of the National Institute of Ecology (INE); as well as specialists from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Center (NMFS).

He said that at the request of fishermen from San Felipe, and with the help of INE personnel, discussion and analysis workshops were held in the municipalities of San Felipe, Golfo de Santa Clara, and Puerto Peñasco (all in the Upper Gulf of California), where it was agreed that fishing activities would have sustainable planning, with ecological equilibrium for a period of 50 years.

Lastly, the Semarnat director said that joint work is being carried out with the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishing and Food; the governments and universities of the state of Baja California and Sonora; the Intercultural Center of Studies of Deserts and Oceans; and Pronatura to ensure that the pledges made are shared by the three orders of government and the scientific community, in order to advance towards the conservation and recovery of the species.

Ocean Oasis

Its been snowing off and on all week here in Southern Oregon. I really would like to be somewhere warm with big fish but for now this great video will have to do.

El Mogote Development

Although the fishing is not very good along El Magote, the long sand spit that protects La Paz, it is (was?) a beautiful place with potential as a fishing spot. Netting has taken a big toll along El Magote and I'm sure pollution from the city hasn't helped.

It is a great spot for kayaking and bird watching. Unfortunately, it as been subject to one of the most ill conceived development projects around. Barely rising above high tide and made of sand held together by vegetation including extensive mangrove forests, the long finger of El Mogote provided the frame to the spectacular sunsets the the La Paz Malecon is known for.

There is a website documenting some of the problems with this development:

Badwishtobuyparaiso.org

The real creepy thing about the El Paraiso development is the level of green washing in their marketing. They brag about a "certification" by Audubon International - NOT the well known and respected Audubon Society. Audubon International uses the name of the famous birder and conservation organization to provide green cover to the golf industry!

Their poor choice of location and deceptive advertising should serve as a warning to the future of this outfit. Likely, it will remain as another half built Baja development disaster with serious lingering environmental and for those that spent their money here economic damage.

Action Mexican Senate

Sorry, I've been a little busy this month and haven't had time to post. Hopefully, I can get more desitination and how-to stuff up early next year.

This article was posted on the ESPN webpage on December 10, 2008.

Billfish Foundation Study Generates Action in the Mexican Senate

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.

Submersable in the Sea of Cortez

This sounds like a fun project. It would be a blast to take a spin in this thing. Its also good to hear that they found some healthy fish populations.

Click here to go to the original article.

Expeditions Reveal Gulf of California’s Deep Sea Secrets, As Well As Human Imprints

Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego returning from research expeditions in Mexico have captured unprecedented details of vibrant sea life and ecosystems in the Gulf of California, including documentations of new species and marine animals previously never seen alive. Yet the expeditions, which included surveys at unexplored depths, have revealed disturbing declines in sea-life populations and evidence that human impacts have stretched down deeply in the gulf.

In one expedition, researchers Exequiel Ezcurra (adjunct professor at Scripps Oceanography and former provost of the San Diego Natural History Museum), Brad Erisman (Scripps postdoctoral researcher) and Octavio Aburto-Oropeza (graduate student researcher) traveled on a three-person submarine to explore marine life in the Gulf of California’s deep-sea reefs and around undersea mountains called seamounts.

The DeepSee submersible gave the researchers unique access to environments below 50 meters (164 feet), depths virtually unknown in the gulf because of their inaccessibility below scuba diving levels.

“Our investigation resulted in many new discoveries, which included new species of invertebrates and possibly fishes,” said Erisman. “Similarly, we collected and observed species that had not been recorded in the gulf, had never been observed alive or had never been observed at such depths.”

“The synergistic collaboration between Scripps researchers and the San Diego Natural History Museum was the driver of this wonderful endeavor,” said Ezcurra. “We were able to raise the funds for the boat and the DeepSee submersible in record time, allowing us to invite some of Mexico’s top marine scientists to join the team. The long tradition of binational cooperation nurtured by the museum in its 134 years of life was instrumental in this collaborative development.”

Scientists at universities in Mexico are now conducting detailed genetic and morphological (form and structure) investigations to determine the species status of various animals.

But along with the excitement of discovery came disturbing signs of human impacts in the gulf’s depths, and, in particular, signals that overfishing has decimated ecosystems. Large schools of fish documented in earlier expeditions at locations such as El Bajo seamount have vanished. The researchers also say depths at comparable areas, such as Cocos Island off Costa Rica, reveal much more marine life and healthier ecosystems than those studied in the Gulf of California that are impacted by fishing and pollution.

“The human impacts in shallow areas have been well documented, but our observations make it clear that we are reaching down deeper and modifying the deeper ecosystems and their communities as well,” said Aburto-Oropeza. “We have lots of evidence of ghost nets with trapped animals at many depths, along with pollution, including beer cans, in each deep location we studied.”

The researchers hope their findings will reach beyond scientific circles and be incorporated into conservation and management plans to restore healthy marine-life populations and promote sustainable fisheries in the gulf.

Although the evidence of human encroachment was plentiful, the researchers also traveled to remote locations where sea populations thrived, destinations where human impacts are reduced or virtually non-existent. Such was the case at Las Animas, a seamount tucked halfway between Loreto and La Paz. At its location buffered from urban impacts, Las Animas suffers minimally from fishing and human activities.

There the researchers found booming fish populations, an extraordinarily rich variety of red snapper species, unique shrimp species and possibly new species of sea urchins and cucumbers.

During a separate expedition completed in October, Erisman and Aburto-Oropeza studied marine life at Cabo Pulmo, a protected national park near the southern tip of the Baja peninsula. Here again the researchers documented a “biodiversity hotspot” with thriving fish populations and a rich mix of sea life in the absence of human environmental pressures. They witnessed large tiger sharks, now a rarity in Baja California.

Erisman and Aburto-Oropeza say Las Animas and Cabo Pulmo, contrasted by the relatively depleted sea life witnessed at locations such as El Bajo, are examples of “shifting baselines,” the concept promoted by Jeremy Jackson, director of the Scripps Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, and others. The term describes the deterioration of standards and failing to realize how much has changed over years and generations.

“At Las Animas and Cabo Pulmo, we have seen that if you leave areas without human pressure, the elements of the environment will allow them to rebound to a previous, more healthy ecosystem state,” said Aburto-Oropeza.

“These expeditions far exceeded what we expected,” said Erisman. “From the first dive, the results escalated in success as I witnessed a hundred times more organisms than I expected. It was amazing and we are excited about the possibilities.”

The custom-built DeepSee submersible, owned by expedition co-leader Steve Drogin, a San Diego photographer and marine explorer, allowed the scientists to survey marine life with its 360-degree-view glass dome. The researchers concentrated on marine life between 50 and 300 meters (164 and 984 feet), although DeepSee is capable of reaching 475 meters (1,500 feet).

Another startling discovery came in September on a separate expedition when Drogin and his colleagues discovered a hydrothermal vent just south of Loreto at a depth of 450 feet. Drogin reported dramatic views around the vent and water temperatures reaching 266 Fahrenheit degrees (130 degrees Celsius).

“It felt to me like walking into the middle of a forest fire, with flames shooting out. It was very dramatic,” said Drogin.

Abreojos and La Bocana

I wanted to post a couple of random links on the greater Abreojos and La Bocana region.

View Larger Map

La Bocana is a long skinny bay with Punta Abreojos to the Southeast and the town of La Bocana to the Northwest. There is little information on the area on the web but here's a couple interesting links.

I haven't been to this place and their webpages are a little sketchy but the price and location are right:
La Bocana Bed and Breakfast

These guys are gear anglers but their report gives an indication of some of the action that is available.
La Bocana Fishing Report from 2005

Here's a good run down on fishing in Estero Coyote at Campo Rene (east of Abreojos) by Doug Pierson who I met at Campo Rene where he generously showed me the basics of fishing this bay.

Doug's Estero Coyote Advice

And if you are interested in what all thise birds are here's a place to start:

Bird paper on Estero Coyote and Bocana