[prisna-google-website-translator]
Worlds Aquarium in conjunction with Centro de Rescate Rehabilitación e Investigación de Fauna Silvestre, A.C. will be sponsoring it’s first Sea Lion Disentanglement clinic in Rocky Point Sonora. The clinic will take place in Rocky Point on the 14 through the 16 of November. Day 1 will be at CEDO, Centro Intercultural de Estudios Desiertos y Oćeanos. Special thanks go out to the staff of CEDO!! Days 2 and 3 will take place at Campodónico/Bahia San Jorge. A one hour drive south from Rocky Point.
This clinic will be used to demonstrate to the community of Puerto Penasco the Sea Lion Disentanglement protocols that have been developed and implemented in the field in many areas of the world by the Marine Mammal Center out of Sausalito California. Last November we participated in a very successful disentanglement clinic conducted at Isla Espirto Santo, close to the city of La Paz in Baja Sur. Please click here for our post on that clinic.
The objective of this program is to train local personnel from the State of Sonora, local institutions and private citizens dedicated to the conservation of marine ecosystems, with the purpose of forming an inter-institutional group that is capable of responding to situations of entanglement of sea lions on the coast of Sonora.
Those participating in the clinic will be local tourist operators form the area, commercial fisherman from the ejido Campódonico / Bahia San Jorge, government officials from Profepa, Conanp and Semarnap among others. Any private citizens who would like to be among the others particiapting in this clinic can please contact Vince Radice, at worldsaquarium@gmail.com!
Participants:
PROFEPA-Sonora. Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente en Sonora.
CONANP-IGC Islas del Golfo de California, Sonora. Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales
Protegidas.
SEMARNAT-Sonora. Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales en Sonora.
SEMAR. Secretaría de Marina y Armada de México / Capitanía de Puerto.
ZOFEMAT. Oficina para la Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre.
Policía turística.
CEDO Intercultural. Centro de Estudios de los Desiertos y Océanos.
Comité “Playas limpias” de Puerto Peñasco.
CRRIFS. Centro de Rescate, Rehabilitación e Investigación en Fauna Silvestre, A.C.
ONG World ́s Aquarium. Organización no lucrativa.
Comunity Ejidal Campodónico, Grupo Lobos. Bahía San Jorge.
City of Puerto Peñasco.
Empresas turísticas de Puerto Peñasco, usuarias de la isla.
Day 1: November 14, participants will meet in the morning at CEDO in Puerto Peñasco.
Day 2 & 3. November 15 & 16 the clinic will move to Campodónico / Bahia San Jorge. This area is a one hour drive south of Puerto Peñasco and a very rural area, there are no services here. Participants must bring there own camping equipment. Food will be provided for those participating in the clinic. Donations for food will be greatly appreciated! There will be a demonstration on techniques and practical use of equipment on land and in the water. Just to mention once again that during these days we will be camping out and meeting with local leaders from the commercial fishing sector. On one of these two days, weather permitting, we will visit Isla San Jorge to work out the logistics for our return trip in February or March.
Now why are we choosing to start this program at San Jorge Island just south of Rocky Point? First off San Jorge has one of the largest sea lion colony’s in the Sea of Cortes. Something I was not were of until just a few years ago. That said Isla San Jorge also has the highest incidence of of Sea Lion entanglements of any island in the Sea of Cortes. The picture at the top of this post was taken by myself from the camera of Manuel Muñoz. Manuel is a farmer and commercial fisherman. That picture is from July of this last summer. At last count there were over 50 Sea Lions entangled at Isla San Jorge. That is why this island close to the community of Rocky Point has been chosen. Commercial and Sport fisherman alike need to be aware of how their activities might affect this sea lion colony.
-
- Tony’s man made wound
