Jimena's Aftermath

This satellite image taken as Hurricane Jimena passed over Mulege says it all. On the Pacific side Puerto San Carlos and Puerto Lopez Mateos were badly damaged with many homes destroyed. Some reports say as many as 90% of the buildings in Puerto Lopez Mateos were destroyed. For the thrid time in four years Mulege is badly damaged by flooding from a hurricane with a "J" name (John in 2006, Julietta in 2008, and now Jimena in 2009). Santa Rosalia is also badly damaged.

Comondu and San Carlos Hit Hard

Unfortunately, San Carlos and the Municipo of Comondu have been severely affected by Hurricane Jimena. According to El Sud Californiano, Ciudad Constitution was hit by strong winds that lasted for seven hours.

Photos

From El Sud Californiano:
El huracán Jimena devasta Comondú

As of 2:00pm PDT today the eye is over the mountains east of Conception Bay and appears headed for Mulege. Expect major flooding in all the arroyos. I hope the people that live in the mountains made it to shelter. I have heard nothing from Loreto and Mulege - with the damage at San Carlos where the electricity is produced I'm sure the power is out.

Good News / Bad News - Jimena

Well the good news is that Huricane Jimena went up the Pacific side and spared the towns along the Gulf of California and has lost a lot of strength. The sustained winds have dropped to 90 miles/hour with stronger gusts. The bad news is that it made land fall as a category 2 storm near Puerto San Carlos. Hopefully, the fish camps on the barrier islands around Magdalena Bay were evacuated. The current prediction is for the storm to make landfall again near San Juanico. I have not seen any reports for the Pacific Coast yet. The many small communities along the coast are likely badly impacted. I will report more as I get information.

Norbert Arrives

Hang on everyone!!!

According to the National Hurricane Center Hurricane Norbert has sustained winds of 105 mph with higher gusts. Ciudadad Constitution, Ciudad Insurgentes and smaller towns of the Municipo of Comondu don't really need this after all the flooding associated with Tropical Storm Lowell last month.

The flat lands of the Magdelena Plain are prone to flooding. After this storm it will be several days before the highway between La Paz and Loreto is open. The power station at Puerto San Carlos is right in the path of this storm so their may not be electricity for a while.

I'll post more information as I get it.

The Baja Big Fish Company web page will have Loreto information as soon as the power and Internet come back on.

Although it is a little south of the storm path the Telmex web cam in La Paz might have some interesting images in the morning.

¡Cuidado Amigos!

Tropical Storm Lowell

Although it is dying fast over the relatively cool Pacific waters, Tropical Storm Lowell appears to be headed straight for Magdelena Bay. The region is just drying out from Tropical Storm Julio and could really use a break. Stay out of the arroyos for the next few days and be prepared!

More Dorado Poaching

As predicted by many, the new fishing regulation known as the shark norma or NOM-029 that opened waters with 50 km of the coastline to commercial long-line fishing for sharks is being used as cover to fish for species reserved for sport fishing such as dorado and bill fish.

Today's Sud Californiano leads with the headline Saquean Nuestros Mares or "They are Looting our Sea"

El Sudcaliforniano

7 de septiembre de 2008

Gustavo Alonso Alvarez

Baja California Sur.- Un segundo barco fue detenido en Puerto San Carlos por la tarde del viernes 5 al encontrársele 5 toneladas de dorado, especie reservada para la pesca deportiva, la embarcación de nombre "Ellen" es al parecer propiedad de la misma empresa mazatleca a la que pertenece "Mildred", barco también detenido el viernes con 8 toneladas de dorado.

Al parecer los barcos tiburoneros siguen enfocándose a la pesca de especies reservadas al amparo de su permiso, lo cual demuestra que tanto la NOM-029 como la determinación de aplicar un 30% de pesca de acompañamiento para tolerar la pesca de otras especies, como el dorado, no están funcionado de la forma deseada, o bien, la vigilancia sigue siendo insuficiente.

El "Ellen" se dice que es propiedad de una persona con el nombre de Henry Collard, de la empresa "Odemaris" con sede en Mazatlán, Sinaloa; "Ellen" traía 5 toneladas de dorado y una de tiburón, evidentemente la pesca de acompañamiento fue la de tiburón.

Si se aplicara la tasa de incidentalidad, por la tonelada de tiburón pescada, el "Ellen" tenía derecho de traer consigo poco más de 300 kilos de dorado, no 5 toneladas. El caso del Mildred es similar, pues para las 12 toneladas de tiburón que traía tenía derecho a un máximo de 4 toneladas de dorado y no 8.

Esta información fue proporcionada por pescadores de la zona y ayer sábado no fue posible confirmarla con el personal de guardia de la CONAPESCA, que al parecer se mantenía en operativo en puertos y mar, de modo que los datos son extraoficiales.