The last Viva La Baja! post gave the basics of the new (and first) citizen-funded and run vigilance program in La Paz: Hot News - Commercial Fishing Vigilance Program. For a more in-depth account of the program, including its origins in 2007, visit the Sea Watch Mexico website and read the article, Mexico's First Citizen-Funded And Run Vigilance Program Starts.
If you are not much of an online reader, and just want the hard, cold facts given to you in a viewable and informative YouTube video... look no further. Click here and wait a minute or two for the five minute video "Hookah Divers Are Killing The Sea" to load onto your desktop. You won´t be disappointed and most likely overwhelmed with emotion at the unecessary and all-encompassing destruction that has been, and is continuing to be, inflicted on the Sea of Cortez and its inhabitants, specifically in this video - species of fish that call the reefs home.
Illegal activities can be reported via email to Sea Watch at reports@seawatch.org. If you would like to participate more fully and/or become a member of Plataforma, please go to this Web page to sign-up: Observatorio Ciudadano. The page contains detailed information on the program and how participants can help stop the massive destruction being inflicted on the Sea of Cortez by commercial fishermen who - simply put - could care less.
As quoted from Sea Watch, "The goal of Plataforma is to get the vast majority of honest fishermen, both commercial and sports fishermen, as well as the cruising community involved in detecting and reporting illegal acts, thereby creating a net of concerned people with the common goal of protecting the Bay."
Go Sea Watch and Plataforma.
Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula. Available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.
Showing posts with label Vigilance Program. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vigilance Program. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hot News - Commercial Fishing Vigilance Program
A new 'Pescadores vigilantes' program has begun in Baja California Sur in an attempt to put an end to illegal commercial fishing interests (not local hook and line fishermen) in the Sea of Cortez. The program allows anyone to report illegal fishing activities anonymously without fear of retribution, either in person, by phone or via email. The illegal activity will then be published in the La Paz paper - every 20 days - that lists the boats stopped, the denuncias filed, what the authorities have done to date and the final resolution (fines issued).
The program is being funded by Sea Watch and it´s supporters at an estimated $8000 USD per month. Here is some background information provided by Mike McGettigan - founder of SeaWatch.
"We have been very busy starting a civil society sponsored and run vigilance program. It is under the banner of "Plataforma" and is being funded in it's first 90 days of operation by Sea Watch. The group "Plataforma" which Sea Watch helped start is now quite strong and is supported by Mexico's largest NGO's."
"We have always felt you have to start with Vigilance and enforcement. Otherwise you start by setting up marine protected areas, marine parks, sanctuaries, etc. and they immediately become the private fishing grounds of the strongest illegal fishermen. There are fishermen that fight (and pay) to have the rights to fish in the protected areas."
Things are off to a successful start - on the first nocturnal Vigilance program of Plataforma in the Bay of La Paz (June 22-24) they caught 8 boats fishing illegally. The illegal activity will then be published in the La Paz paper as mentioned above.
Mike states, "It will be a score card that forces the authorities to do their job which is to arrest boats fishing illegally and prosecute them."
Good news for Baja and all Sea of Cortez marine life.
Next blog entry - Where & how to report illegal activities.
Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula. Available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.
The program is being funded by Sea Watch and it´s supporters at an estimated $8000 USD per month. Here is some background information provided by Mike McGettigan - founder of SeaWatch.
"We have been very busy starting a civil society sponsored and run vigilance program. It is under the banner of "Plataforma" and is being funded in it's first 90 days of operation by Sea Watch. The group "Plataforma" which Sea Watch helped start is now quite strong and is supported by Mexico's largest NGO's."
"We have always felt you have to start with Vigilance and enforcement. Otherwise you start by setting up marine protected areas, marine parks, sanctuaries, etc. and they immediately become the private fishing grounds of the strongest illegal fishermen. There are fishermen that fight (and pay) to have the rights to fish in the protected areas."
Things are off to a successful start - on the first nocturnal Vigilance program of Plataforma in the Bay of La Paz (June 22-24) they caught 8 boats fishing illegally. The illegal activity will then be published in the La Paz paper as mentioned above.
Mike states, "It will be a score card that forces the authorities to do their job which is to arrest boats fishing illegally and prosecute them."
Good news for Baja and all Sea of Cortez marine life.
Next blog entry - Where & how to report illegal activities.
Molly, author of Viva La Baja! Relocation & Real Estate Guide to the Baja California Peninsula. Available to order at www.vivalabaja.com.
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