Confirmed: Ban on bluefin tuna fishing in Mexico DOES include sportfishing

sdfish.com

Jul 15, 2014  

Written by  SDFish.com

This nice bluefin was caught aboard the Pride on its latest trip in Mexican waters

 

 

Since CONAPESCA's sudden announcement yesterday afternoon that Mexico was forbidding the fishing of bluefin tuna in 2014, the internet has been abuzz with speculation about whether the announcement affected sportfishing, or just commercial fishing.

And now we have confirmation of what we had all feared; the suspension DOES indeed cover recreational sportfishing and will affect San Diego's world-famous sportfishing fleet.

Ed Zieralski of the San Diego Union Tribune reports that Ken Franke, President of the Sportfishing Association of California, has confirmed with CONAPESCA in Mazatlan that the temporary ban (through calendar year 2014) of bluefin tuna fishing in Mexico DOES indeed affect sportfishing. There can be NO take of bluefin tuna in Mexican waters for the remainder of 2014.

The reach of "Mexican waters" extends 12 nautical miles off the coast as part of its "territorial waters," but likely these fishing regulations will be upheld within their "exclusive economic zone." The EEZ extends an additional 200 nautical miles beyond their territorial water, and expressly gives them control to the economic resources within that zone, like fish.

There was widespread speculation on social media and internet forums that the ban affects only commercial fishermen, given the cause for the suspension was due to the fishery reaching its 5,000 tonne (5,511.5 US tons) annual quota. Some anglers and sportfishing operations with ties to Mexico, such as "Gamefisher Sportfishing" in Ensenada claimed yesterday and this morning that it did not affect sportfishing, only commercial fishing, even after talking with their local CONAPESCA office.

Many boats from the local sportfishing fleet were in the middle of tuna fishing trips when the announcement was made, and amidst AWESOME fishing, had to vacate Mexican waters or begin targeting other species of sportfish like yellowfin tuna, yellowtail and dorado.

While this closure is no doubt a huge blow to the sportfishing industry in Southern California, some skippers and landings say they'll continue to fish in Mexico, and have to focus their efforts on the other fish down there while releasing any bluefin caught as bycatch. Captains are often able to distinguish between bluefin and yellowfin without ever hooking one, instead using their electronics (sonar systems) to differentiate between the two when a clear difference in size can be made (the bluefin around right now are larger than the yellowfin around).

Fortunately for the fleet, especially boats that fish 1.5 day and shorter trips, there has been fantastic fishing for yellowfin and yellowtail in local waters.

 

 

 

Last modified on Tuesday, 15 July 2014 16:16