Monday, May 19, 2008
An
Open Letter to Mexico’s Congress on Shark Ecotourism
MexiData.info
note:
In
April 2008, after marking up a legislatorial Point of Agreement regarding the “non-extractable exploitation of white
shark at Guadalupe Island,” Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the federal Chamber of Deputies
submitted its negative findings Point of Agreement to the lower house of Congress as a whole, where it now awaits action.
All
of which relates to supervised shark diving (in cages) adventure and ecotourism activities that take place within Mexico’s
Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, located in the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California.
Activities that the Mexican government, after due study and review, has authorized through the issuance of a limited
number of federal permits to Mexican and foreign tour operators (plus the requisite permits vessel owners/operators or their
agents must obtain).
Following
a long introductory review and criticism (with a number of unsubstantiated and/or arbitrary “facts”), the Environment
and Natural Resources Committee calls for the federal government not to authorize shark watching activities at Guadalupe Island,
“insofar as it may not have been determined if these practices change the behavior of this species, creating a risk
to its population, the marine fauna of the area, and local fishermen.”
As
well, the Committee is calling for Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, through its Attorney General
for the Protection of the Environment and in coordination with the Secretariat of the Navy, to carryout increased vigilance
and oversight in the ocean area to insure that all of the rules and regulations in the 2005 decree, that designated the land
and waters off Guadalupe Island a natural protected area, are followed. brt
March 11, 2008
An
OPEN LETTER to members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, Honorable Congress
of the Union, Mexico, D.F.
Honorable Deputies of the
Environment and Natural Resources Committee:
Diego
Cobo Terrazas, Chairman
Jesús
de León Tello, Secretary
José
Luis Espinosa Piña, Secretary
Lucia
Susana Mendoza Morales, Secretary
Benjamín
Hernández Silva, Secretary
María
Mercedes Colín Guadarrama, Secretary
Aleida Alavez Ruiz
Armando
Barreiro Pérez
Edmundo
Javier Bolaños Aguilar
Juan
Hugo de la Rosa García
Adriana
Dávila Fernández
José
Antonio Díaz García
Emilio
Ramón Ramiro Flores Domínguez
José
Guillermo Fuentes Ortiz
Martha
Hilda González Calderón
Christian
Martin Lujano Nicholas
Cruz
Humberto López Lena
Sergio
Augusto López Ramírez
María
Soledad López Torres
Beatriz
Manrique Guevara
Carlos
Roberto Martínez Martínez
Roberto
Mendoza Flores
Fernando
Quetzalcóatl Moctezuma Pereda
Víctor
Manuel Méndez Lanz
Jorge
Rubén Nordhausen González
José
Ascensión Bárcenas Orihuela
Martha
Angélica Romo Jiménez
Víctor
Manuel Torres Herrera
Rafael Villicaña García
Carlos
Ernesto Zatarain González
Esteemed Members of the Chamber
of Deputies:
Several allegations have come to our attention regarding ecotourism activities of the white shark cage
diving tour operators at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. Your meeting minutes of April 3, 2008 state the following (translated):
1. "As well, it is mentioned that the techniques used by these tourist service providers in order to attract
white sharks puts at risk the ecological balance in the area, the habitat and populations of this species, since their boats
carry containers with sanguaza (blood of different origins mixed with water), and
bait that they dump into the sea once near the island with the aim of attracting sharks in order to see them rise to the surface
or jump. It should be noted that the sanguaza consists of blood from different
origins, (which) could have been fishes, fowls or mammals, and in some cases (it) has the remains of entrails mixed with water."
2. "These boats pour out the sanguaza at night so that the essence
can remain in the sea, and the next day they can assure tourists (of) the presence of white sharks around this. Another of
their methods, although it is utilized to a lesser degree, is the use of pinniped (sea lion, seal or elephant seal) shaped
lures, combined with marine mammal oil, a situation that obviously violates federal legislation."
3. "As has been mentioned, the practices used in order to attract these species are so inadequate that they
have modified the behavior of white sharks in the area, as well as its local distribution. This change of its behavior will
create a potential risk to the populations of sea elephant (Mirounga angustirostris)
and Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi), as well as abalone fishermen."
4. "Regarding sanguaza, this must be considered hazardous waste
and even potentially infectious, therefore its use to attract could result in the spread of pathogen agents or viruses that
may be potentially infectious and harmful to the marine and terrestrial fauna of the region."
We would like the opportunity
to refute these allegations, and to speak directly with any members or deputies of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
What you have been made aware of at this pristine site is factually incorrect, and it does a great disservice to the overall
positive efforts that this fleet, in good faith, has put forward within the Biosphere Reserve boundaries of Isla Guadalupe
over the past seven years of operations.
If this site, and the fate of a large percentage of the Pacific’s white
shark population, is to continue to thrive the actions you take in coming months will be a deciding factor. We ask that the
esteemed members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee come to understand exactly how these white shark operations
are run, and how this fleet, on its own accord, has made great strides in building a long term ecotourism benefit for Mexico.
We
stand ready and committed to working with the Mexican government in developing this site as a world class ecotourism and white
shark research destination. These small steps have already begun at this site, and we would like to introduce you to them.
Respectfully,
Patric Douglas
CEO
www.sharkdiver.com
www.sharkdivers.com
www.guadalupefund.org
www.islandofthegreatwhiteshark.com
415-235-9410
——————————
Also
see “Mexico and the Sharks of Ecotourism,” February 11, 2008, MexiData.info
