PROFEPA Checking Licenses in Loreto

According to the Sud Californiano last saturday, PROFEPA (the Mexican agency in charge of fish and game enforcement) will be setting up permanent inspections of fishing licenses and marine park permits. The article is a little confusing stating that there will be different schedules at the marina, on the islands, and in the bay. However, it seems that they are threatening greater enforcement so buy a license, preferably localy, and support FONMAR!!!!

For more information on FOMAR check out my earier post on Fishing Licenses.

Personal de PROFEPA revisa las embarcaciones particulares
El Sudcaliforniano
25 de octubre de 2008

Raúl Villalobos DavisLoreto, Baja California Sur.- Con la finalidad de verificar y comprobar que tanto prestadores de servicios turísticos, como propietarios de embarcaciones particulares cumplan con sus obligaciones establecidas por la ley, personal de PROFEPA en Loreto lleva a cabo operativos de revisión de manera permanente.

Dichos dispositivos de verificación se están llevando a cabo en diferentes horarios, tanto en las instalaciones de la dársena de este puerto, como en las islas o en la bahía de Loreto. Uno de los principales puntos que se están checando es que los pescadores cuenten con sus licencias de pesca correspondientes y sus boletos del Parque Marino Nacional Bahía de Loreto, así como los permisos que les autorizan la prestación de servicios en el área.

Cabe destacar, nos comentaba Rodrigo Ureñas, titular de las oficinas de PROFEPA en Loreto, que estos requisitos son de gran importancia para disfrutar de las bellezas naturales del lugar y su excelente pesca deportiva.

Al mismo tiempo se está verificando que las embarcaciones de prestadores de servicios turísticos y particulares cuenten con su documentación en regla, por lo cual a aquellas personas que son sorprendidas realizando actividades dentro del parque sin cumplir con lo establecido por la ley, se está procediendo a levantar las actas correspondientes y ser turnadas ante la autoridad competente, comentó finalmente.

Fishing Licenses

From the BajaBigFish.com webpage:

If you will find yourself fishing off the coast of BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR in the near future, consider yourself lucky because only in this state do we have the option to purchase our Mexican sportfishing licenses at the State Finance Office and not directly via the federal government's fund (CONAPESCA). What's great about this is that the funds from these licenses bought in the state STAY in the state. Right now the monies are going toward a fund called FONMAR which is usually used for marine conservation and education but now it is being used to legally overturn NOM 029, the Shark Norma. So as much as I love those travel clubs like Vagabundos del Mar and Discover Baja, and as much as it may be more convenient to purchase your license through these services, the fact is that the money for licenses paid this way stays with the feds who invent seriously stupid laws like NOM 029. Buy your fishing license though your local outfitter in BCS and your money will go towards preserving the Sea of Cortez fishery for the future. I see my Loreto-born children catching nice fish almost every day off our shores and I want their children to have the same chance so, BUY YOUR FISHING LICENSE DIRECTLY THROUGH YOUR BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR FISHING OUTFITTER. Do NOT buy it stateside because that money you work so hard for will go right to the feds who are in the back pocket of the commercial fishing industry.

Unlike the US where the fees for your hunting and fishing licenses are used to fund state fish and game agencies in the state they are sold in, funds from fishing license sales in Mexico historically have disappeared off to Mexico City never to be seen again. However with the creation of FONMAR, Baja California Sur is in a unique position to reinvest license fees in protection of the resource.