FACI NG THE BLUE. Shark fishing in Mexico. Federico Vespignani PARALLELOZERO

Transcription

1 FACI NG THE BLUE Shark fishing in Mexico Federico Vespignani PARALLELOZERO

2 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena bay. A Smooth Hammerhead (Sphyrna Zygaena) hooked off shore Magdalena bay. The Smooth Hammerhead is highly valued for its fins. In 2014 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) voted to increase their protection regulating the international trade

3 Shark fishing in Mexico is considered one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world. Miedo y respecto (fear and respect) - are two words that Reyes Cosio, a 10 years experienced shark fisherman, always uses to define the relationship between himself and the surrounding environment. The increasing demand coming from markets all over the world, particularly from Asia, brought the overall population of sharks to an unprecedented low rate, with some species suffering up to a 80% loss. And while shark fishing in Mexico remains a very common practice, the growing concern by the international community over preservation of sharks has pushed the Mexican government to impose tight controls and limits on local fishermen. On the other hand, the shortage of fish due to the overfishing in Southern California s coastal waters is forcing a growing number of fishermen to turn their attention to shark fishing. The attempt to find a balance between the local communities needings and the preservation of the local ecosystem, is not an easy task. Some Puerto San Carlos s fishermen, a small village in Magdalena Bay, are trying to convert part of their activities into tourism. Yet, these efforts require resources and investments that are hard to get for such small communities.

4 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. The notebook of the crew and the hooks used to fish sharks

5 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay. The eye of a Silky Shark as it dies. Single crew can catch between 5 to 20 sharks per day. Usually August is the most profitable month of the year, during which fishermen can earn 700 euros per day, split between the crew members and the owner of the boat

6 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay. Reyes Cosio Rosas, 27, while preparing a bait for the sharks. Usually the Tiburoneros (shark fishermen) use 30 baits per day, mainly tunas and deepwater redfish

7 Mexico, Puerto San Carlos. Tourist taking pictures. A nongovernmental organization is working to develop a sustainable shark-diving operation alongside fishermen in the bay in an effort to replace shark fishing and protect sharks in the area

8 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. A shark fisherman at dawn while loading a tank of gasoline on his boat for next day s work. Each crew consists of two sailors who can catch up to 20 sharks per day in a six meters fiberglass boat

9 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. Erik Raku Armando Cosio, 27, at dawn having a joke with Luis. Raku like his father and his grandfather - fishes sharks for living

10 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay. A tourist dives with a Grey Reef shark off to Bahia Magdalena. For 5 years a mexican NGO, Pelagic Life, tryied to convince shark fishermen about the financial benefits of sharks protection. However the fishermen are not confident with the conservationist approach of the NGO and advantages of shark diving and for now the program has had little success

11 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay. A smooth Hammerhed dead lay on the boat; usually a sinlge crew can catch up to 20 sharks per day

12 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. Erik Raku Armando Cosio, 27, while cleaning some deepwater redfishes (Sebastes mentella) for dinner. At the fishing camp there is a strong brotherhood among fishermen, every crew helps each other

13 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. Reyes Cosio Rosas puts shark at drying. Sharks are targeted for their fins to be used in oriental soup, a delicacy in Asia, but as they are slowgrowing and slow to reproduce, they are vulnerable to overfishing. Recently the price for shark fins has fallen by 70% according to Wild Aid, a U.S. based NGO, because of several government bans and campaigns by conservationists

14 Mexico, Pacific Ocean. A Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) hooked. This shark is widely distributed in continental and insular shelves and the oceanic water. However nowadays Silky shark is listed as Near Threatened (NT) according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for the high demand of his fin and meat

15 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay. Two shark fishermen while trying to kill a Silky shark. A shark of this size can be sold for 1500 Pesos (100 euros). According to the season a single crew can catch from 5 to 20 sharks per day

16 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena bay. Reyes Cosio Rosas, 27, is trying to remove the hook from a blue shark (Prionace glauca) that has been just caught. It has been estimated that 10 to 20 million of these sharks are killed each year as a result of fishing. Blue shark is now classified as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List

17 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. Pedro Antonio Romero, 26, while drops a Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) on the seashore after a day of work. Shark fishermen usually work 14 hours a day. They stay for long period away from their families while their camps are located in remote areas. Fishermen in the last years have been hit hard by regulations by the Mexican government due to the increase in international policies for sharks protection

18 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. The fishing camp in Cabo San Lazaro, a remote corner facing the open ocean, it can be reached only with a two hour trip by boat from the nearest village, Puerto San Carlos

19 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. Fresh shark fins and a Silky shark lay on the shore. According to the seasons a single crew can catch up to 20 sharks per day. August is usually the most profitable month of the year during which fishermen can earn up to 700 euros per day split between the two crew members and the owner of the boat

20 Mexico, Cabo San Lazaro. Francisco Roman Romero, 31, sharpens his knife for finning. Recently the price for shark fins has fallen by 70% according to Wild Aid, a U.S. based NGO, because of several government bans and campaigns by conservationists

21 Mexico, Pacific Ocean off Magdalena Bay. Reyes Rey Cosio Rosas, 27, as he pulls up a Silky Shark. Rey s duty on the boat is to kill and load the sharks. This very moment is usually the most delicate part of the fishing, thus the shark can bite or get loose from the hook.

22 Mexico, Puerto San Carlos. Tourists waiting to go out in the sea for a shark diving experience and spearfishing. A nongovernmental organization is working to develop a sustainable shark-diving operation according with the fishermen in the bay in order to help them to replace shark fishing and protect sharks in the area

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