Diving Chamela Bay with INAPESCA and UNAM team members

INAPESCA personnel visited Chamela Bay to conduct underwater prospecting activities related to the proposal of the Bahía de Chamela Fishing Cooperative to establish a fishing management polygon in its fishing zone. During the month of July, Armando Calderón (Sierra a Mar) and Adán Aranda (UNAM) prepared a document with information on the Chamela cooperative's proposal and its progress to date. The INAPESCA team wanted to learn more about the project through a site visit and rapid underwater assessment.

On July 30, Carlos Amezcua, Mauricio Salas, and Alberto Bartoleño from INAPESCA; Stefanie Brendl and Armando Calderón from the Sierra a Mar initiative; and Adán Aranda from UNAM met up in Chamela to dive and assess several of the locations inside the proposed polygon.

During the tour, the proposal was discussed at length, from its origin to the different objectives, both those focused on improving some fisheries, as well as those that contemplate future recreational activities at the site. Several dives were conducted to survey and characterize the bottom and record commercially important species such as octopus and lobster, and HOBO thermograph was installed at 5 meters depth to record water temperature within the polygon.

As next steps there will be a continuing exchange of information and technical advice, and additional sessions are being planned with the cooperative to provide the fishermen with training to record catch data.

Octopus

Rockfish

Juvenile Sardines