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 Editorials | Environmental | May 2007 
Mexico Responds to Concerns About Fisheries Legislation
 Ed Zieralski - San Diego Union-Tribune
| | The Billfish Foundation, La Fundacion para la Conservacion de los Picudos, Seawatch and other conservation organizations now are asking for specific changes in the regulations to prevent what would be disastrous longlining in the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. |
This came from Larry Edwards of Cortez Yacht Charters in Lemon Grove: If you wrote an email to anyone in the Mexican government to protest the passage of the controversial fisheries legislation, NOM-029, also known as Shark Norma, congratulate yourself.
On Wednesday, the Mexican fisheries agency, Conapesca, issued a news release in response to protests from within “sectors of the Mexican government,” The Billfish Foundation (TBF) and its many Mexican conservation partners. Apparently, thousands of emails hit their mark, according to sportfishing advocates who opposed the bill that threatened to make billfish and dorado bycatch on longlining boats. TBF, La Fundacion para la Conservacion de los Picudos (FCP), Seawatch and other conservation organizations now are asking for specific changes in the regulations to prevent what would be disastrous longlining in the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez.
Although Shark Norma sets regulations for commercial fishing, conservationists argue that it does little to protect the other species that always end up in shark fishermen's nets and on their longline hooks such as whales, dolphin, sea lions, endangered sea turtles as well as highly prized game fish such as dorado and marlin.
Conapesca's news release, according to those who have read it, downplays criticisms, but does say “changes will be made to the new regulations to prohibit the commercialization of billfish and cites Mexican fisheries law (Articulo 13, La Ley de Pesca) to clarify that species protected by the 50-mile conservation zones are reserved for the exclusive use of the sport fishery and may not be taken by other than recreational fishing gear.”
“We are pleased to see evidence that rational minds within the administration have looked to correct this terrible rulemaking effort by Conapesca,” said TBF's chief scientist Dr. Russell Nelson, “but unfortunately experience has shown that promises made by Señor (Ramon) Corral are to be taken with a grain of salt.”
In December of 2003, when he took over as the head of Mexico's fisheries, Corral announced that Mexico would ban longlines, factory ships, large drift gillnets and rescind all permits allowing any taking of billfish and dorado. This came after marine scientists presented facts about the impacts of longline and drift gillnet gear in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. But Corral's ban never happened. And in January, Corral and his senior staff met with Mexican Senator Luis Coppola, Nelson, Guillermo Alvarez of FCP, and Alejandro Robles representing a coalition of Mexican conservation groups focused on the Sea of Cortez. He promised that Shark Norma would not go into effect until new research was conducted to look at its biological impacts.
“Corral announced the implementation of the new regulations as we were involved with scientists in La Paz developing a work plan to analyze the impacts,” Nelson said. “We no longer can deal in good faith with Conapesca,” said TBF President Ellen Peel. “We are going to keep up the pressure on this issue until it is dealt with by Senator Coppola, Chair of the Tourism Committee in the Mexican Senate, and we are still calling for a suspension of NOM-029 until all the required changes are formally in place.” |
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