600 kg of Illegally Caught Fish Seized
Espiritu Santo Archipelago. The most beautiful
islands in the Sea of Cortez. This group of
islands is the primary reason tourists visit La Paz.
ROC patrol with NAVY and PROFEPA personnel
Following seven weeks of intensive intelligence work, community vigilance unit, ROC, help seize 600 kilograms of illegally caught fish during nocturnal operation at Isla Espiritu Santo.
The Espiritu Santo Archipelago off the coast of La Paz, BCS, Mexico, has been under attack from illegal fishing by Pistoleros and Encerradores for the last 25 years, contributing to the rapid decline of its reefs and fish stocks.
A main attraction of Espiritu
Santo is diving and snorkeling
with the sea lions and other
marine life. These industries
rely on a healthy ecosystem.
The lucrative ecotourism and scuba diving industries, which contribute substantially to the economic health of the city, rely heavily on a healthy ecosystem to secure the future of the industries and the jobs within them.
Although the Mexican government has designated three of the most important areas around the islands as no-take nuclear zones and also prohibited the use of compressed air for fish extraction, bandit fishermen have been entering these no-take areas just before sundown and, using illegal fishing techniques, they have depleted the abundance of keystone reef fish species which in turn is severely compromising the health of this socially and commercially important ecosystem.
ROC , a community funded and directed vigilance initiative, was established in 2009 with financial assistance from SeaWatch. New agreements with government agencies, PROFEPA, CONANP and CONAPESCA, to patrol with ROC have established regular patrols at Espiritu Santo from sundown and throughout the night.
One of ROC’s patrol boats. It was recently repainted in dark blue making it almost invisible in the darkness.
It is very difficult for the illegal boats to see them approaching.
These patrols with officials on board means immediate action taken against anyone fishing illegally in the waters around La Paz and the Espiritu Santo Archipelago.
Some of the illegal catch seized by ROC and CONAPESCA which includes parrotfish that are vitally important to the health of the reef. T
his practice is not sustainable. If it is not stopped soon, the reefs around the islands will be gone.
A crude HOOKAH system which consists of an air
compressor with hoses & scuba-type second stage
regulators. A unit like this allows up to three
divers to easily catch the sleeping reef fish.
On October 10, 2016 a joint operation between ROC and CONAPESCA was successful at tracing down an illegal fishing operation following seven weeks of intensive intelligence work including numerous surveillance patrols around Espiritu Santo.
The panga when detained was found to be carrying 600 kilograms of different reef fish species illegally caught using a HOOKAH rig (portable compressor with air pipes and scuba-type second stage regulators attached). This type of fishing is highly illegal and destructive to the reef, reef fish and general health of the marine environment. Fish are simply killed with a modified Hawaiian sling while they sleep.
An illegal operation like this has the potential of extracting 1000 kilograms plus of reef fish in a single night, leaving an area of reef devoid of fish.
The boat, which was a 22 feet panga (open boat), along with the fishing gear and illegally caught product, were immediately seized and impounded by CONAPESCA. It was still impounded as of 2/12/17
The following video from 2006 shows the destructive and illegal hookah fishing at night.
February 25, 2017
SeaWatch Newsletters
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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How You Can Help Save the Sea of Cortez
Consume Responsibly
Abstain from eating all fish that protect the health of the reefs including parrotfish and surgeon fish
Report Illegal Activities
Be our "Eyes on the Water" take photos, record positions, and send reports to the authorities
Donate
Your donations contribute to the work of Espiritu Santo es parte de ti and the efforts of ROC