SUDCALIFORNIANO ARTICLE ON MEXICO FISHERIES PROTECTION

Translation by Jorge Navarro of Pisces Fleet Sportfishing of an article in the Baja California Sur, Mexico, newspaper, El Sudcaliforniano, Jan. 20, 2007:

Narciso Agundez Montaño, governor of the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico, requested before the head of Mexico's Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentacion (SAGARPA) Alberto Cardenaz Jimenez, the support of the federal government to avoid the commercialization of Marlin and Sailfish and also to establish an exclusion zone of 50 nautical miles reserved only for sport fishing activities.

On this subject to be discussed in Mexico City, Governor Agundez Montaño informed Cardenas Jimenez about how fundamentally important sportfishing is for Baja California Sur and how commercial fishing incidental catches impact marlin and sailfish species, which are reserved for sportfishing only.

In this matter, the Governor pointed out that Mexican vacation destinations such as Paz and Loreto are just starting to develop tourism, which will be seriously affected if the main attraction, sportfishing, is not provided.

Baja California Governor Agundez Montaño and the head of Mexico's SAGARPA both agreed how important it is to have regulations that sustain this activity, which is the main source of economic support for thousands of families of Mexico's states such as Baja California Sur.

Governor Agundez Montaño also commented about the forums that took place in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas about Mexico's regulation NOM-029, which were attended by local Mexican fishermen, representatives of tourist services linked with sportfishing, researchers and scientists from organizations such as CIBNOR and CICIMAR, local and federal legislators, and authorities representing the three levels of government.

Governor Agundez Montaño and SAGARPA's Cardenas Jimenez agreed to establish a common front to join with those dependent on this activity, sportfishing, with the goal of assuring the end of commercial fishing for marlin and sailfish, species reserved for sportfishing only in Mexico, and to study the establishment of a commercial fishing exclusion zone of 50 nautical miles around the whole state of Baja California Sur or regions where sportfishing is practiced.