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Donate $100.00 or more and receive a free copy of Dan Gotshall's popular book Sea of Cortez Marine Animals – a $21.00 value!

See how Sea Watch spent money in 2003

2004 is a make or break year for the Sea of Cortez …In late 2003 The old Federal fisheries management was replaced. The new Commissioner of Fisheries Ramón Corral made the following statements in December. Mexico will prohibit all drift gillnets, prohibit the use of longlines on vessels greater than 27' within 50 miles of the coast, refuse to license any factory vessels applying to fish in national waters, and eliminate dual permits previously used to allow shark longliners  to catch and retain billfish, dorado and other gamefish bycatch within the 50 mile conservation zones. He also said that VMS would be on Mexican boats in 2004.

That being said, there is a lot of work to do to make it happens. There are four things that must happen in 2004 if the Sea of Cortez is to have any chance of recovery.

1. Drift gillnets all sizes must be removed from Mexican waters (details).

2. VMS in place on all large boats (details).

3. Longliner permits only after Environmental Impact Statement and outside the 50 miles limit
      
4. Guardianes del Mar in place and operating in BCS (details)

Here are the projects that need you support: Check the box next to project where you would like to see ALL of your money go. 100% to the field - Every dollar you send will be spent on the project box you check, no salaries or other operational expenses will be taken out of your money unless your send it to the general fund.

Guardianes del Mar – Sea Watch has pledged $50,000 in matching funds for 2004 to get this pilot project going in BCS. Without this program there will never be a rule of law in the Sea of Cortez (details)

Website work – The new website will be the most comprehensive source of fisheries information for politicians and the public. It is hosted in Mexico. There are volunteers in each major city around the Sea of Cortez updating fisheries info daily. It is being produced in both languages. Money sent here will help pay only direct website costs.

Alliance Mar de Cortes – The commercial fishing interests in Mexico have been setting the fishing agenda since 1949. Presently, the sports fishing industry, tourism industry and the conservational interests in Mexico and around the world have no strong, well financed and equally dedicated body to counteract the media blitz, faulty science and often erroneous claims made by the commercial fishing interests and the scientific arms they control. The Alliance for the Sea of Cortez organizes those groups, businesses, and individuals interested in the conservation of the Sea of Cortez, identifies practical solutions for it's continued economic and environmental viability, and communicates to the media, the public, and government (details)

General Fund – This money is spent primarily for meetings, tickets and lobbying in Mexico City for the VMS program and for the salaries of the director of the Alliance Mar de Cortez and the webmaster ( Click here for details of where Sea watch spent money in 2003 )

Television specials and documentaries – Sea Watch does 15 -25 television specials every year. They reach over 100 million Spanish speaking people worldwide on Televisa's satellite and evening news. It was the television whale campaign started by Sea Watch in January of 2003 that lead to the reality of how many whales are being killed yearly by nets. As a result the Attorney General of Mexico demanded the elimination of all gillnets in Mexican waters. These specials have been our strongest tool to date.

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You will help save these precious resources for tomorrow as well as today. 100% of your donation goes to SeaWatch projects.

You will help save these precious resources for tomorrow as well as today. 100% of your donation goes to SeaWatch projects.

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Or send a check today to:

SeaWatch
3939 N. Marine Drive, Slip 12
Portland, Oregon 97217

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Telephone/fax in U.S.A. - (503) 285-3673
Telephone/fax in Mexico - 01152 (112) 55108