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Re: Some good point of views - Save them, YES, anything we can do? doubt it


Outer Bamnks diving on the Great Escape Southern California Live-Aboard Dive Boat


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Posted by Scott on September 22, 2005 at 13:27:30:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Black Sea Bass and Laws posted by James on September 22, 2005 at 12:45:11:

Several good points have been brought up.
Unfortunately those posting here are the good, law abiding bunch and as much as we wish there may be nothing we do unless we observe the bad guys in the act.

For example, over last New Years I went on the 10 day liveaboard Nautilus Explorer to the Socorro Islands. I was a fantastic group, we had a wonderful time with excellent diving.

There were a number of hurdles that the law abiding boat/crew/guests had to accomplish in order to proceed:
1) In port La Paz checkout,
2) submitting proper paperwork to authorities promising not to tale any game
3) checking into the MEX Navy at San Bendicto Island
4) Ship inspection by the Navy
5) random checks and boarding if the authorities desired it (they didn't)

What is frustrating for us to understand is that there was a 75+ ft yacht named "LEGAL EAGLE" from LA that anchored near us. Our diving would regularly be close by and the first of 3 days that the moored to us, one dive team returned on path near there anchored stern and noticed new, bottles of wine, beer, freshly eaten lobster tails and even a tuna under their boat. During the trip there were two more days that we noticed they were also anchored near us and freshly finished beer bottles and trash were found in the area.

Although it could be argued that we didn't see them actually throw this trash overboard, we had been to that same reef at the same dive spot just two days prior and there was no trash then.

On the last day we did see them fishing off he stern and quickly pulled their gear out of the water as we approached.

So, we had a heck of a lot of circumstantial evidence that they were violating the No fishing rules in the marine preserve area and generally degrading the environment by throwing their trash overboard, but what could we do to stop it.

We did file a report with the authorities, and also called the MEX Navy, but what became of it? Nada

We had a great trip but several of us ended up being rather frustrated at our fellow countrymen/women's behavior.



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