Vaquita conservation

Landshark

Landshark

Guest
This is some of the best news yet in the effort to stop the destruction of the fish and wildlife in the Sea of Cortez. I just hope they are serious about implementing their "new plan" as well as enforcing it...with serious consequences. They also need to include long line fishing bans and restrictions to the shrimp trawlers in their plans. The article says the governors of Sinaloa, Nayarit and Baja California were present, but not the governor of Sonora?? Not a good indication of local support. The following quote is a long overdue response to the problem but unfortunately may be too late.
The threat to the Vaquita “is a symptom of a broken system,” said Alejandro Robles, chairman of the Mexican environmental group Noroeste Sustentable. “The Upper Gulf has tremendously valuable resources. It has been the historical disorganization of the fishing sector that has created what we have today.”
The extent of the damage already done is sad and overwhelming.
http://www.seawatch.org/reports/sea_of_cortez.php
 
Landshark

Landshark

Guest
Mexico Implements Plan to Save Endangered Vaquita Porpoise
The gill net ban is now officially in effect. Lets hope the enforcement is aggressive.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexico-implements-plan-save-endangered-vaquita-porpoise-30377326
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/world/americas/mexico-moves-to-save-endangered-porpoise.html?_r=0
I'm also hearing rumors the commercial shrimp trawlers are being paid (subsidized) to not harvest shrimp. Can't find anything to confirm this. Anybody have any details? It appears it only applies to gill nets.
 
Jungle Jim

Jungle Jim

Guest
Sorry to burst the bubble........

It will never happen, since once they are all gone they won't be a problem any longer.

Hit the beach at Santo Tomas last Saturday afternoon. Made a right turn, went 100 feet and saw a dead sea turtle in the surf. It was an adult Olive Ridley with no obvious injuries. Went another 200 feet saw two dead sea turtles in the surf. They were one adult and one juvenile about two feet long Olive Ridley's with do obvious injuries. We started a tally sheet then stopped counting dead sea turtles at two miles of driving with eleven dead. At our turn around point we estimated at least one dead turtle every quarter mile. We drove about twenty miles up the beach that day, which means at least eighty dead turtles. We did not count the dead Sea Lions or Dolphins, but there were plenty. No animal of that size and lifespan can withstand losses of breeding adults at that level. I believe those turtles had all drowned in gill nets and trawl nets.

JJ
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
The gill nets are out of control but I think it is the Sardine trawlers with the panga support
 
Estero

Estero

Guest
I thought the trawlers, by law, were to use turtle exclusion devices in the nets. But a few zip ties to close them solves any inspection problems.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
Think you are right but when they come by the dead stuff on the beach is eveywhere.Like Jim reported the dead Sealife count by us is just unreal....maybe a red tide? Maybe they are just starving?
 
M

MIRAMAR

Guest
In late January I wrote: " I saw last weekend what looked like a red tide, but then it went away with the higher waves. I say red tide because the sea was so blue, but the dark area looked more reddish in color. Also there were more dead birds (mostly small) on shore. "

We've spent the last few months cleaning up the dead birds and sea lions on our beach, and I would guess it's from the algae in January/February/March. The only time I could visibly see it was in late January, but the health dept testing could still spot it through March.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
Trying to get a bit more confirmation...the worry is the gill netters are moving down here making a bad situation worse
 
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