GILL NETS BEING SET OUT AT NIGHT OFF LOS CABOS

Feb. 5, 2005, Bob Grimes, San Jose del Cabo, San Jose del Cabo sportfishing, Baja California Sur, Mexico Commercial Fisheries Report:

Gill netters are still putting out illegal fishing nets in the San Jose del Cabo area. They put them out at night, and stay near them to protect them from the Mexican sportfishing captains, who will cut them when they have the chance. The sportfishing captains are very frustrated by the lack of response to their complaints to the authorities.

Now, at least until the rain and wind of the last few days, there have been some tuna and baby dorado and a huachinango for their clients, but in March and April there usually is not much except for sierra and toros and maybe a few roosterfish, and these species are being taken by the gill netters.

These gill netters are not natives of La Playita. They are principally from Palo Escopeta (they frequently work out of Las Destiladeras) as well as some who have come from Sinaloa.

The gill netters are also working the area of Cerro Colorado and even the area north of Cabo San Lucas, near Migrino, wiping out the schools of nice sized sierra that have been there recently.

The oyster divers continue to take any baby lobster they can find, although langostas are out of season. They are also spearing parrotfish and anything else they see.

The primary focus of Mexican law enforcement this last week has been spent going to every one of the hundreds of bars and restaurants in Los Cabos, including many gringo establishments where a Mexican who is eligible to vote in the local elections on Feb. 6 would be very unlikely to come, warning them of the severe penalties if they violate "la ley seca" by selling alcohol to anyone on Feb 5 or Feb 6.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from San Jose del Cabo and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for San Jose del Cabo may be found at Mexfish.com's main San Jose del Cabo page.