even when fishing in the upper Gulf of California is prohibited to protect the vaquita marina, more than a thousand boats will return to this activity at the end of March because the federal Government suspended the economic support that gave them from 2015 in Exchange for maintaining the ban.
Fishermen of Sonora, between the sword and the wall by measures to protect the vaquita marina
fishermen in the communities of San Felipe and Santa Clara areas, grouped in different federations, argue that since last December, when he started the new federal Government, ceased to receive resources for fishing, they will say edging to resume activities, despite the ban declared in this area.
“We have not authorized any fishing method, then what we want is to work what is in season that is a species called milkfish, a fish that has an important commercial value for the Asian market,” explained Alonso García, Secretary of the Federation of coastal fishermen of the port of San Felipe.
“After all we would be doing illegal things, unfortunately, we would be so illegal such as the totoaberos,” he said in reference to fishing with drift-nets causing the death of the vaquita.
Just in January, the Government headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced the start of the comprehensive program for the sustainability of fishing in the upper Gulf of California, with the aim of “improving the protection of biodiversity and raising the” living conditions of coastal communities in the region”.
He also said that it seeks to strengthen “sustainable fishing practices”, as well as diagrams of surveillance and protection the marine vaquita and combat poaching and the illegal trade of the totoaba.
This program for fishermen has no resources referred to in the budget of expenditure of the Federation for 2019.
The vaquita and 370 species at risk, with less budget for protection in 2019
when he announced the new plan, the federal Government said that they had planned meetings with “key stakeholders” to “tune the program” and then consideration of the Secretaries of Semarnat and Sedatu, “for its approval and commissioning”.
The Ministry of environment and natural resources (Semarnat), recognized, in documents submitted following a request for information, which does not have resources for compensation to fishermen or to protections for the vaquita.
According to the own dependence, between 2012 and 2018, reversed, at least 1,565 million pesos in this species conservation programmes (including support to residents for not fishing in the area), however the measure implemented in the Government of Enrique Peña Nieto already not continued.
An investment of 1,200 million pesos has failed to rescue the vaquita marina
in addition to not receiving support in three months, the organized fishermen also considered that its activity, has criminalized because they say that the death of the vaquita is not caused by your work regulated, but specifically by the illegal fishing that seeks to capture the totoaba, because his bladder is listed up to 100 thousand dollars per kilogram in China and Hong Kong, according to experts.
Faced with this situation, Alonso García, said that several fishermen have ventured into the poaching to survive. However, he noted that illegal fishing for totoaba requires investment and equipment that it does not have any vessel in the area.
“The gill net is a model of fishing gear, but there are different characteristics, if I want to fish shrimp use a net drift of two, three quarters of an inch in diameter mesh and thickness of the thread of 0.30 mm, but if I want fish tototaba I use a re” d 12 inches, which has much larger picture where the animals are trapped”, explained in an interview with Animal politician.
according to Garcia, the network for fishing totoaba is the most dangerous for the cows and other species, because it acts as a permanent wall in the bottom of the water, supported by anchors. It also ensures that this illegal activity is that has dominated in recent years.
The local federations of fishermen warned that already do not stop to those seeking to fish in these waters.
Growing risk of extinction of vaquita in Mexico failed rescue “the problem is that networks are prohibited, we don’t have other fishing gear, or have or we know to use other… What we are going to do is let people stop,”said fishing leader.
He also acknowledged that they don’t have a plan to distribute or regularize the product you manage to catch, because the entire area is forbidden and would have to resort to the black market to be able to market it.
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