 |
|
|
 Editorials | Issues | May 2007 
Weighing In
 Ed Zieralski - Union-Tribune
Mexican Fishing: Wayne Bisbee of Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournaments is sending out a plea to fishermen to get involved in the fight against a new Mexican fisheries law, passed yesterday, that allows commercial longline vessels to fish 15 miles off the Baja coastline.
The Billfish Foundation has been working to stop a government bill in Mexico that allows commercial longline vessels to fish only 15 miles off the Baja coastline under the guise of shark permits. Since longlines are an indiscriminate method of fishing, the result of these permits will be catastrophic to the other gamefish in the area, including marlin, dorado and sailfish, Bisbee said.
The bill is NOM-029 (The Shark Norma), and The Billfish Foundation argues that it is a deeply flawed regulation, which will have devastating overfishing consequences for billfish, sharks and rays, even though a finning prohibition is included for sharks and rays. This regulation, promoted as a way to stop the over-exploitation of sharks and rays, was rejected by Mexico's past two presidents but strongly supported by commercial fishing interests in Ensenada, Sinaloa, Sonora, Mexican Fisheries (CONAPESCA) and some Mexican and United States nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation, said: We are working with our friends in Mexico to look for legal ammunition against the Norma-29. We are looking toward federal legislation to overrule this threat to ocean resources and we are continuing to network with conservation-minded Mexican friends and supporters to overturn this foolish set of regulations.
The Billfish Foundation is asking for email protests be sent to Mexican officials.
If you fish in waters off Cabo and the Sea of Cortez or you support responsible management in those waters, let your voice be heard. Send your comments to:
Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, Presidente de Mexico, felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx
Cesar Nava, Secretario Particular, cesar.nava.vazquez@presidencia.gob.mx
Alberto Cardenas, Secretario Sagarpa, alberto.cardenas@sagarpa.gob.mx
Ramon Corral, Comisionado Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca, rcorrala@conapesca.sagarpa.gob.mx
Saniago Creel Miranda, Coordinador del GPPAN, santiago.creel@pan.senado.gob.mx
Manlio Fabio Vbeltrones, Coordinador del PRI, beltrones@senado.gob.mx
Arturo Escobar, Senador PVEM, aescobar@senado.gob.mx
Luis Coppola Joffroy, Senador PAN, luis.coppola@pan.senado.gob.mx
Jorge Alfonso Ituurbide Gurerra, Tecnico Secretaria Partiular Presidencia, aiturbide@presidencia.gob.mx |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us