ALFREDO AZCARATE VARELA
THE BAJA POST/EDITOR
FOTO: Pixabay Kkortmulder

Governor Marina del Pilar headed a meeting with representatives of the fishing sector in San Felipe, with Federal, State, and Municipal authorities, aiming to strength coordination and trying to find joint solutions to the challenges facing the fishing community of the Port.

“Fishing is one of the vocational activities of our state, and in San Felipe there are several challenges that we must face together. We cannot tackle these challenges alone; we have to work as a team,” said Governor Marina del Pilar

There have been several voices claiming that San Felipe Fishery practices damage and harm the so called “vaquita marina” a marine mammal that (according to official versions) gets caught in the fishermen nets, which may be true but there ae also other issues affecting the mammal.

pescadores — **San Felipe Fishermen got together with Gov Marinan del Pilar and they agreed to strengthen joint efforts in the Upper Gulf of California.**

During the meeting, Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda acknowledged the importance of the work carried out by the fishermen of San Felipe and expressed her gratitude to President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the head of CONAPESCA Rigoberto Salgado, and Mayor José Luis Dagnino López for their willingness to enhance coordination in support of the fishing sector.

THE VAQUITA MARINA REAL ISSUE

Vaquitas are estuary water organisms, that is they live in the Colorado Delta (or what it used to be) and they need a salty/aweet water balance that has been broken and worsens every year since Hoover qand Imperial dams (among others) were built to control the water flow of the river.

***The vaquita marina or cochito (Phocoena sinus) is a species of endangered odontocete cetacean of the Phocoenidae family.***

San Felipe fishermen face other problems such as the prohibition of the TOTOABA FISH FISHERY which is forbidden because the ets kill vaquitas, but that fish dwells in the DELTA as well as waters a little more to the south and vaquitas are not able to go there since the water PH is harmful for them.

COMMUNICATION WITH FISING COMMUNITY IS VITAL

Baja California’s Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Alma Rosa García Juárez, emphasized that the governor’s directive has been to maintain constant and close communication with fishing communities, recognizing the value of their work and the role they play in the economy and identity of Baja California. She highlighted that coordination among the three levels of government will be essential to promote better conditions for development and commercialization.

San Felipe Mayor, José Luis Dagnino López, acknowledged the openness of the State Government and federal authorities to hold direct dialogue with the sector, which he described as the economic engine of the municipality. He expressed his confidence that this engagement will allow for successful progress in the upcoming fishing season in the Upper Gulf of California.

Sardine, anchovy and other marine species fishery quotas for the California Gulf

The meeting was attended by the National Commissioner of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Rigoberto Salgado; María José Espinosa Romero, General Coordinator of Operation and Institutional Strategy; Tania Nassar Prado, CONAPESCA’s representative in Baja California; and Rear Admiral Gabriel Guzmán Comparán, commander of the San Felipe Naval Sector, who heard firsthand the concerns and proposals from the sector.

Finally, Gov Marina del Pilar emphasized that her administration will remain close to the fishermen of San Felipe, listening to their concerns and supporting their daily efforts. She reaffirmed that the State Government will continue promoting agreements with the federal government and the municipality so that fishing activity develops in an orderly manner, with stability and fair conditions for those who depend on it.