Stops by The Mexican Navy This Weekend?

Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
Can any of you confirm this - I was just told by someone out fishing this weekend that the Mexican Navy was checking all boats leaving the harbor for proper paperwork. I also heard that a boat that was fishing by the island was impounded for violating some sort of "Reserve" status at the island -- cost him $5000 to get his boat back.

I was also told that anyone without a permit and a fishing license was being turned back into the harbor. Can anyone shed light on this? I am not aware of any "permit" that is required -- the requirment to have a boat permit was lifted several years ago. The fishing license I can understand; I always have those. I was told that folks were being sent to the Mayor's office to get said "permit." What permit are they talking about?

Inquiring minds and all here... I always like to make sure I've got all the correct paperwork when I'm out there. Also, I never knew that Bird Island was off limits for fishing? What gives with that?
 
Seadweller

Seadweller

chum
Yes it's true... the part about the paperwork... I didn't hear about a boat being confiscated... New Port Captain and Naval Leader and they are checking for jackets and licenses... the local guys are required to get dispatch papers for charters and they are checking for them...
 
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Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
I don't have any details on the boat confiscation -- was just something I heard this morning, so don't know any more than what I posted.

So, as far as the dispatchio - we always fill one out at Safe Marine before we launch. Name and number of the boat, owner address, names and age of all on board, destination/compass heading, anticipated time of return, etc. I've always assumed that was all that is required. Are we going to need to have a copy of that on board to prove we did it or something?

I'm not worried about any of the safety stuff; I'm always good to go in that department. The old harbor master inspected me once and saw I had everything I was supposed to, just waved at me in the future.
 
PintoPoint

PintoPoint

Guest
If I launch from Cholla Bay do I need a boat permit? Can I buy fishing licenses in town for the whole group or do they all have to be there?

Rick
Cholla Bay
 
dmcauley

dmcauley

Guest
at safe Marina they gave us a copy of the dispacho and warned we might be stopped. We weren't even tho all is in order on my boat and now I will make sure everyone's license is current. No biggie
 
moore_rb

moore_rb

Stay Thirsty My Friends
My biggest question is: Do the guys stopping everyone speak any english?

Mi espanol es terrible... muy basico.
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
Wahoo said:
Stuart, where did you read about this confiscation?
Click to expand...
I didn't read about it - the information came via a phone call from a friend that was down fishing this past weekend. In a nutshell, I was told that someone was fishing by Bird Island and his boat was confiscated because he was violating a nature reserve. It cost him $5000 to get his boat back. That is all I was told and I've been trying to verify this and get more information since then, but have heard nothing else. True or not? I honestly don't know.

I'm not aware of Bird Island being off limits to fishing. I've fished there many times over the years and so have many others I know. If it's off limits to fishing, then that's news to me. I do know there's no camping or disturbing anything on the island itself, but have never heard of it being off limits to water-based activities - fishing, snorkeling, etc.

I'm hoping to go down this weekend and will nose around a bit and see what I can find out in person while I'm there.
 
B

bigdog

Guest
license. what license

what kind of license do i need from shore or my kayak? where do i get it
 
moore_rb

moore_rb

Stay Thirsty My Friends
bigdog said:
what kind of license do i need from shore or my kayak? where do i get it
Click to expand...

no license necessary to fish from shore, and I don't think a kayak counts as a boat since it does not move under the power of an engine...
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
You don't need one from shore. Only from a boat. On your kayak? I'd hardly worry about it. The Mexicans view them as toys, not fishing vessels.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
My buddies are skeptical on this story.One guy was out there 2 weeks ago and the navy ignored them. The 6th marine division is manning the Alduna checkpoint South of the Mayane...new trucks,guns,uniforms and ski masks.They searched us and checked iid's and wrote down travel info
 
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bahiatrader

Guest
I was once rescued by the The Armada Naval. They checked all of my papers which were in order. There were two guys on board that didn't have licenses. They never said a thing. Those guys all had heavy wool looking uniforms that would have killed me in that heat. They called a navy panga out from Puerto Peñasco which towed me back to port. They wouldn't even let me buy a round of cervesa for the crew.
 
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playaperro

playaperro

El Pirata
Let me be the first!

bahiatrader said:
I was once rescued by the The Armada Naval. They checked all of my papers which were in order. There were two guys on board that didn't have licenses. They never said a thing. Those guys all had heavy wool looking uniforms that would have killed me in that heat. They called a navy panga out from Puerto Peñasco which towed me back to port. They wouldn't even let me buy a round of cervesa for the crew.
Click to expand...
Good to see you back Bahia, How is your garden doing?
 
B

bahiatrader

Guest
Unfortunately I lost part of it due to an unscheduled visit to the hospital. I don't think my melons are going to make it. I seasoned some chicken with fresh basil leaves last night. It seems like a lot of effort since I need to manipulate the shade and temperature. I hope the misters work well enough through the monsoons. I shouldn't say it, but they haven't arrived here yet.
We're pretty well fixed up for fruit. Tammy found some good buys and our freezer is half full of vacuum packed fruit. I have really tasty smoothies and sorbets daily. My weight is dropping off at a reasonable rate. I'm also pleasantly amazed at how quickly my strength and coordination are returning. I know my doctor was kind of surprized when all of my numbers were right on the money when we visited him a few days ago. We are even talking about heading South for an angling expedition soon. One of my old buddies from 60 + years is coming to visit and he might go with us. No complaints here.
 
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B

bahiatrader

Guest
If Larry doesn't go, we'll probably take the Ranger since it has a rack for my little electric scooter. I may also have the Falcon wired up to haul the scooter rack. We might also take Larry's motor home. It's kind of early to tell right now. I found a package of linguado in the freezer this morning. It will be supper tonight. I still may have a package or two of fish from the Sea of Cortez in there. I'm sure glad we got a vacuum packer. I didn't really care much for frozen fish before we started vacuum packing it.
 
moore_rb

moore_rb

Stay Thirsty My Friends
I was talking to Rick Hammer this past Tuesday about the guy who got his boat confiscated at the island- did anyone ever find out who it was? If he was a gringo I would think that someone would know someone who knew who it was.

As to the question of whether the island is really off limits to sport fishermen or not, I've been researching this topic.

I found the following document (last revised in Juanuary 2009) that lists the Protected sites in the Sea of Cortez, and Isla San Jorge is not on the list:

http://www.unep-wcmc-apps.org/sites/wh/pdf/ISLANDS%20of%20BAYA%20CALIFORNIA.pdf


Further- I called the Conapesca office in San Diego and they said that the only zone in the upper Gulf that is marked off-limits to sport fishermen is the Vaquita protection zone in the river delta region. I asked specifically about Isla San Jorge and they said there was no marine protection zone in place- only the island itself is off limits to humans.

Lastly- I found this study that still on-going and lists Bird Island as one of the study zones, but does not offer any indication of any protected marine status in the waters surrounding the island:

http://www.pangas.arizona.edu/files/shared/files/biblio/Y502597 Annual technical report COBI (10sep09).pdf

translation of the above:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.pangas.arizona.edu/files/shared/files/biblio/Y502597%20Annual%20technical%20report%20COBI%20(10sep09).pdf&ei=ISHxTf-JJ5LTgQfy1pnBBA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD8Q7gEwBQ&prev=/search?q=isla+san+jorge+conapesca&hl=en&biw=1259&bih=765&prmd=ivns

Also- I called a couple dive shops and they all said diving is still perfectly legal in the waters around the island, which would be inconsistent if there were a marine buffer zone in place. Usually when there is a demarcated marine protection zone, that area is off-limits to all recreational activities. This type of zone is in place out at Clipperton island.

So, I don't know if this clears up the question, or makes it more murky, but personally- I think if a recreational boater or fisherman had his boat confiscated then I have to believe that he was caught going ashore at the island, or he was out there without a valid fishing license, or some other reason...

There is a new Oficina de Pesca in RP, which was was opened in April 2011. The address is Calle 12 No. 199 in the Port Area, and the Deputy Delegate of Fisheries is José Luis Moreno Gomez.

Maybe one of the RP locals who has better spanish skills than I do could stop by there and ask them whether or not the waters around the island are closed to sportfishing...?
 
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