Cover inserted by

SPEAR

Artesian Fisheries Photos and Text by

Brandon Rus and Stephanie Rousso

In the photo above, a fishermen throws freshly caught snapper into plastic boxes, without ice, in the hot Mexican sun. The lack of ice and proper sani-

tary resources reduces the quality of the fish. For example, one bucket of

snapper will probably only fetch about $10.

In Mexico, fishermen form cooperatives and work with biologists to deter-

mine fishing seasons and a type of catch-share method, whereby each fisher-men is allowed a certain amount of fish per season. It takes time, but in

some areas, fishermen work with biologists to designate “no-take zones” Im-proving fishing practices and resources can increase the quality and thus the

price of each fish allowing fishermen to fish less and reduce pressure on the

resource.

In the photo on the next page top, vertical line fishing practices is one of the most sustainable methods of fishing in terms of low bycatch numbers. How-

ever, size regulations do not exist and in many markets, small juvenile snap-per are sold in lew of larger fish. No-take zones are helping, but more moni-

toring and regulation is needed. Yet, for regulation to be accepted, economic

incentives through tourism is proving to be successful solutions.

Photos Copyright: Brandon Rus

Most families in de-veloping countries can

only afford to send one child to school

even if there is a school nearby. In the

photo to the right, for this son of a fisher-

men, fishing is all he will ever know in his

lifetime.

One question remains strong: “Will there be enough fish for this boy in

to continue the artisanal fishing tradition of his family, or will the ocean

be overfished by the time he is old enough to teach his son to fish?”

On a dirt road in Mexico, heading to the Pacific coast, a pick up truck

packed with three men in the cab bounced along. We stopped to ask

them where we could find some fresh fish. In unison, they smiled big

and all pointed to the back of the truck.

The bed was full of blankets, fishing poles, anchors, a 4-stoke outboard

motor, and buckets of fish, large fish. The main guy pulled out a beauti-

ful mahi-mahi for us to inspect. We agreed to the price of 80 pesos for

two fillets or the equivalent of about $7.00 U.S.

The guy filleted it on the bumper of the truck right there in front of us

(photo above), threw the skin and the bones into the desert for the vul-

tures, and kept the head for himself for soup.

Photos above and right Stephanie Rousso

Grouper like the one in the photo below doesn’t fetch much money for fish-

ermen in Mexico. They have no ice to transport their catch from remote

Pacific beaches into town, so the quality decreases. Fishermen probably

earned no more than $5 U.S. for this large grouper. In the U.S. fishermen

would probably earn double, maybe even triple that. If this fish was im-

ported to the U.S., retailer buyers would pay more than $20 per pound.

In many developing countries, fishermen earn next to nothing for their

catch, meaning they have to catch as much as they can whenever they can

to make ends meet. This means overfishing., which is certainly a problem.

However, there are greater problems that the marine world faces. When

sea turtle meat can be sold on the black market for almost four times this

grouper or the mahi-mahi on the previous page, sea turtles are targeted over

fish.

Ghost Gear

"Ghost fishing" is the unintentional trapping of

animals in lost, abandoned, or discarded gear

—NOAA Marine Debris Program

Fishing gear is often discarded,

abandoned, or lost at sea. This

derelict gear, more popularly

known as Ghost Gear is the worst

type of bycatch problem in the

ocean today.

Healthy Seas has a solution. They

are collecting or received ghost

gear and making EcoYarn. With

this recycled yarn made from ny-

lon and cotton nets, they can make

all sorts of textiles. For example,

dresses, socks, bags, and blankets

are made from this EcoYarn and

sold online and in specialty stores.

In developing countries, this could

be a successful economic incentive

for fishermen and their families to

make an income during closed

fishing seasons when the species

need to receive. It could also in-

centivize fishermen to try new

gear that reduced bycatch in any

corner of the world.

Photo: Gill net washed up and exposed

during low tide. Credit Stephanie Rousso

"Ghost fishing" is the unintentional trapping of

animals in lost, abandoned, or discarded gear.

Ghost gear from old lobster and crab traps ac-

count for a large majority of sea turtle, shark,

and marine mammal entanglements.

The traps sit at the bottom of shallow waters,

usually about 15—25 meters deep. A rope leads

from the trip to the surface attached to a bouy.

Often times, sea turtles can get their heads stuck

in the trap chasing after a crab.

Yet, more often mega fauna get entangled in the

rope. In the video link below, a Spearfishermen

untangles an adult Olive Ridley sea turtle

caught in a rope tied to a lobster pot trap. As

she swims off, you can see how her flipper was

almost amputated from the cut of the rope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCbpcpjJl4

Fishermen who once poached sea turtles and overfished Pacific waters off

central America are now hired by different non-profit and academic groups to

teach biologists who to fish. Fishermen in this area of the world set long gill-

nets horizontally at the entrance of large bays. Some nets are as long as 200

meters.

The biologist in the photo above is pulling up a gill net that spread across this

bay. Yet, there are no fish in the net, there are endangered sea turtles, hope-

fully. As the tide goes in and out, large mega fauna like sea turtles and some-

times sharks and sea lions become entangled in the nylon barricade. This net

was designed at level 8, meaning between each hand-tied nylon square, a fish-

ermen can put 8 fingers. This allows smaller fish to go through while catch-

ing the larger predatory fish.

Fishermen and Biologists

Learning from Each Other

profit and academic groups to

teach biologists who to fish. Fishermen in this area of the world set long gill-

The biologist in the photo above is pulling up a gill net that spread across this

fully. As the tide goes in and out, large mega fauna like sea turtles and some-

times sharks and sea lions become entangled in the nylon barricade. This net

tied nylon square, a fish-

In the photo below, an adult hawksbill sea turtle was captured and later

sold on the black market. In some Latin American countries, sea turtle

meat is sold under the auspice of “Chiva del Mar” or goat of the sea.

Globally, biologists are working to find viable economic alternatives for

fishermen who poach sea turtles such as tourism where sea turtles are

given a higher value alive rather than dead. Since sea turtles migrate long

distances, sometimes crossing entire oceans to find suitable mating and

breeding grounds, sea turtle poaching is everyone’s problem and we can

all work together to find solutions.

Gulf Wild has teamed up with the University of Baja California Sur in

Mexico to offer a mobile app for boaters and tourism to report sea turtle

sightings and fishing locations I an effort to focus solutions in certain

bycatch hotspots.

In the photo to the

right, university stu-

dents studying marine

biology weigh, meas-

ure, and collect blood

samples from a juvenile

hawksbill sea turtle

caught in the gill net

earlier the same day.

This juvenile was al-

ready caught, tagged,

and released previously,

owing to valuable data

about the health of the

sea turtle population

and site fidelity of indi-

vidual animals.

All this information

helps reduce sea turtle

bycatch when no-take

zones and fishing regu-

lations can be estab-

lished based on sound

science.

Success in reducing bycatch with artesanial fishermen requires a lot

of trust. Miguel Jorge X, Director of 50 in 10 once told Gulf Wild,

“you have to find common ground. Long-term prosperity of the

fishermen links to the long-term prosperity of ocean.”

When fishermen have rights to the resource, they automatically are

provided an incentive to care for the ocean where these resources lie.

This creates a transition from fish for today to the mentality of fish

for tomorrow.

Consumers are the driving force to overcoming bycatch and overfish-

ing problems. Miguel says we need to be enlightened buyers, not

greedy buyers. When we

see the promise of mak-

ing money for the fisher-

men, we all win.

In the photo to the right,

it is more and more com-

mon to see undersized

fish in markets. Next

page, conch is imported to

the U.S. now with sustain-

able regulations for over-

fishing and methods of

collection.

Photos: Brandon Rus

Yet, the major challenge does not fall with the fishermen, but rather

the government. Subsidies is not the solution, and actually can lead to

more problems. Government regulators are stuck in a system that

doesn’t allow for much change. Collaboration among all sectors is

what is needed which provides a diversified set of skills, strengths and

strategies.

Meghan from Sustainable Fisheries Partnerships says that to have en-

lightened buyers, we need an assured supply. SFP sees the solution

with a “top-down demand” Meghan agrees with Miguel that change

is difficult to achieve, which is why SFP designed Fisheries Improve-

ment Projects. They look at a fishery and do not see what needs to

change, but rather what can be improved. Usually the improvement

comes at the supply level from the retailer. Once the retailer starts de-

manding environmental sustainability, that will trickle down and

translate to the fishermen and thus the marine resource.

Back at home in the U.S., Gary Graham, below, a staff member with

the Texas Sea Grant inspects a sea turtle excluder device. These de-

vices are required in shrimp trawl nets in federal waters to allow sea

turtles to safely ge out of the net before drowning. The TED’s as

they are called for short allow the sea turtle to swim down through

an opening in the net after being stopped by a metal grate.

In the photo to the left, reef fish are provided an escape hatch. In

both examples, shrimp, the target species easily fits through the metal

grate until they reach the back of the net. These devices are not

100% effective and are not required in shrimp nets in state waters.

However, this is great progress that can hopefully be translated to de-

veloping countries in the future.

Photos: Gary Graham, Texas Sea Grant