Support Observatorio Ciudadano (OC)

The first OC boat covered 70 miles of coastline with emphasis on Espiritu Santo Island 3 days and 2 nights each week.
The Captains were ex-pistoleros. They said, “they were the best there was in the mid 1990’s”. When they started in 2009,
there were 28 boats working as pistolero’s and encerradores. After the first year there were only 3 boats working part time.

SeaWatch helped start and fund with (NOS) and several other NGO’s a group called Observatorio Ciudadano (OC) or Citizen Observers in 2009. 2010 was a year devoted to implementing that vigilance program. In its first year of operation it was successful beyond what many imagined and you can see more fish on every reef around the Bay of La Paz. See some of the latest short videos showing the dramatic return of fish. Fish returning to Islotes, Fish returning to San Diego

For the previous 15 years starting in the early 1990’s, hookah divers had been killing the reef fish in the Sea of Cortes. By 2007 there were few fish left. In 2007 Sea Watch director and attorney Maria Ugarte sponsored a federal regulation “prohibiting hookah use for fish extraction in all Mexican waters.” It was enacted in May of 2009 and was considered law in La Paz although it took until February 2015 to be published in the DOF making it the law of the land. Now, no compressed air (hookah or tanks) can be used to extract any fin fish in any Mexican waters. Watch Video of the destruction In the year 2010, in the La Paz area where OC patrols work, conservative estimates put the decrease in illegal activity at 80%.

That translates into the minimum tonnage of reef fish saved from being illegally shot at night (pistoleros) or netted using hookah during the day (encerradores) at 500 plus tons. The OC program, with former pistoleros running the patrol boat has facilitated a relationship with illegal fisherman that has enabled Plataforma to understand motives and offer economic alternatives, a major part of the programs success. Download the executive summary of the Observatorio Ciudadano Annual Report

New Patrol Boat much bigger and safer was funded by Sea Watch

Starting in late 2012 and 2013, Sea Watch helped the OC program become independent and it combined with Waterkeepers Alliance to give it a more international stature and to get funding and support from a different but very similar and symbiotic funding base. The new entity is called Red de Observatorio Ciudadano (ROC), or Citizens Observer Network in English. In 2013 Sea Watch also funded over $15,000 to update, remodel and power ROC’s new bigger and much safer night patrol boat. This boat is capable of carrying our captains, who are the best of the former illegal night time spear fishermen, as well as authorities, reporters, students, donors, etc. Their normal patrol is 2 days and 2 nights and they travel about 150 miles. In 2014 and 2015 there have been changes in the problems confronting the Espiritu Santo Marine park and for the last 2 year years a reduced budget at OC and Conanp has allowed totally unregulated fishing in the Espritu Santo Marine Park by both sports and commercial fishermen. Those problems are clearly shown at Marine Park at Espiritu Santo in big trouble It is our goal at SeaWatch to work with OC to reverse that trend starting in late 2015 and 2016. Without good vigilance from dusk till dawn, illegal fishing will condemn The Marine Park at Espiritu Santo to become another failed marine park instead of a successful marine park like Cabo Pulmo that has high quality vigilance and peer pressure to continually make the park better.

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What's New at SeaWatch:

SeaWatch Dream Come True

Since September of 2021, when our attorneys first petitioned the government to create large no take zones around Espiritu Santo National Park to facilitate reef and reef fish recovery, we have been building a dream team. A year later we have that team and a plan in place that is doing exactly that. To see the problem and solution. Click to view this short video...

SeaWatch Annual Raffle

Scott Hanson donated his popular 19" bronze limited edition sculpture "Smooth Sailing" that retails between $7,700 and $9,250 depending on the gallery. Buy one or more tickets here. But hurry as only 150 raffle tickets will be sold!.

Creating the Next Cabo Pulmo
Fisheries Recovery in the Sea of Cortez

Where there are fish of any commercial value, fishing interests will find a way to take them.
In 2019 and 2020 with the legalization of fish traps in the Espiritu Santo National Park (banned in most other places 30 years ago) it became clear that where there are fish, fishing interests will find a way to take them. Read More...

Fish Traps Devastate Marine Environments

Watch this video to see the evidence of the devastation caused by fish traps on reefs and reef fish over time. These traps are legal in Mexico and tragically in Espiritu Santo National Park. To learn more about fish traps and see the devastation they cause Click Here...

Sea Lions and Fish Nets

This video shows the entanglement of sea lions in fish nets and fishing gear in the Sea of Cortez. "Is this what we want in the Espiritu Santo National Park?"

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