Monday, May 12, 2008

Mexico: Chumming banned at Isla Guadalupe

In a stunning action today, Mexico's Secretary of the Navy banned "chumming" activities at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.

White shark cage diving operations are at a crossroads. We'll keep you updated as this unfolds, but is has long lasting repercussions for shark diving operations worldwide.

Ensenada, BC - For three different reasons the Ministry of the Navy has denied any permit for dumping waste sanguaza and pieces of fish in the reserve island of Guadeloupe.

Entre las razones destaca el ataque de tiburones blancos a buzos de una cooperativa pesquera y la alteración del comportamiento de los escualos. Among the reasons highlights the white shark to attack divers from a fishing cooperative and altering the behaviour of escualos.

Un documento indica que apenas en abril pasado le fueron negados permisos para el vertimiento de trozos de pescado a las naves Ocean Odissey y Searchger Horizon de Rosarito. One document indicates that just last April were denied permits for dumping of chunks of fish to craft Ocean Odissey and Horizon Searchger of Rosarito.

La Zona Naval puntualiza que: “No autoriza el vertimiento al mar de trozos de pescado y sanguaza para la actividad de observación de tiburón blanco en la reserva de la Biósfera de Isla Guadalupe”. The Naval Zone says: "Does not permit the dumping at sea of pieces of fish and sanguaza activity for observation white shark in the biosphere reserve of Guadeloupe Island."

Precisa que la Cámara de Diputados, con fecha tres de abril de 2008, aprobó en un punto de acuerdo el prohibir aprovechamientos no extractivos para el avistamiento del tiburón blanco en la reserva de la biósfera de Isla Guadalupe. He explained that the Chamber of Deputies, dated three of April 2008, adopted on a point of the agreement prohibit non-extractive uses for the white shark sighting in the biosphere reserve of Guadeloupe Island.

En el segundo punto agrega que aunque el material a verter es biodegradable y no existe riesgo de contaminación tal que ocasione cambios drásticos en la calidad del agua marina, en el sitio propuesto, existe información donde se argumenta que alimentar al tiburón blanco para ser objeto de observación ecoturística ha alterado el comportamiento natural del mismo. The second point says that even if the material is to shed biodegradable and there is no risk of contamination that may cause drastic changes in the quality of seawater at the proposed site, there is information which argues that feed the great white shark to be observation ecotourism has altered the natural behaviour of the same.

Asimismo, puntualiza que se cuenta con informes de la Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera de Participación Estatal abuloneros y langosteros, los cuales reportan que sus trabajadores (buzos) fueron atacados por un tiburón blanco. It also points out that there are reports of the Fisheries Cooperative Society Production Participation State abuloneros and crawfish, which reported that its workers (divers) were attacked by a great white shark.

Además, los barcos de pesca deportiva ocasionan daños a los equipos langosteros al cortar los cabos y con ello las trampas provocando cuantiosas pérdidas económicas. In addition, sport fishing boats causing damage to equipment crawfish to cut the ropes and thereby traps causing heavy economic losses.

4 comments:

Horizon Charters Guadalupe Cage Diving said...

Hi David,

That's the fear. Back in 2003 a sportfishing vessel from Ensenada attempted to catch and kill a white shark right in front of the fleet vessels.

They were chased away by a film crew we called in who happened to be in the area with a fast boat.

Without a constant presence at this pristine site, we WILL lose these sharks, there's not doubt about that.

Anonymous said...

That sounds very strange, why just apply such a law all of a sudden? I can imagine if the same thing happened here in South Africa,then we could kiss our great whites good bye to the poachers and fishermen..100,000 US dollars a jaw?...quick money. Unfortunately the people enforcing this ban in Mexico have no appreciation for the white sharks vulnerability to fishing, and the fact that the cage diving actually brings people to light with the misunderstood creatures. It worries me. The question is now.. What can we all do to help the situation and the future of the white sharks in Guadeloupe?

Horizon Charters Guadalupe Cage Diving said...

Hi Alison,

These "allegations" are not new and first surfaced back in 2006-7, they just never went away and no one challenged them at the time.

Great question about next steps here. It comes down to education. Education and money for Mexico's Bio Sphere.

These are smart people in politics right now and they need to know we are not who they think we are, more so we want to work with them to create a world class site.

The estimated numbers of sharks here represent 30-40% of the entire western pacific white shark population, that's a simply staggering stat.

beto cabrera said...

hola estoy interesado en hacer una visita a isla guadalupe supe que uds son de las empresas mas profesionales y quisera tener informacion mi correo es cabreraclaustro@hotmail.com , gracias .