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Panga Longliners de Guaymas - Why dorado in the Sea of Cortes disappeared.

From interviews with panga longliners from Guaymas 2006

Panga longliners started about 1985 when about 200 permits were issued in Manzanillo for shark. The by catch of sailfish and dorado was about 90% of the total catch.

By 1990 there was a fleet of about 80 panga longliners in Guaymas. They were targeting dorado and turtles, primarily along the coast of Sinaloa oan out to San Pedro Martir. The price then was 6 pasos/kilo dorado and 90 pesos por tortuga. By 1995 there were about 200 longline boats working out of Guaymas.

In approximately 1994 they started coming to Baja. They caught dorado starting in May on the mainland. By June, there were 30 to 40 boats each day coming to the Baja. They fished in June July and August from about 30 miles north of Santa Rosalia to Loreto. Typical boat/day catch in ’94-‘95 was more than 400 dorado per boat with a gross weight of 1.5 to 2 tons. Boats were 24 a 28 feet long, used 115 HP to 200 HP motors and set 5 kilometers of line with about 600 to 1200 hooks.

The boats would leave Guaymas at 2 AM, make bait (squid) and arrive at 5 AM on the Baja coast near Santa Rosalia. The longline would be set by 6:30 AM and after 1/1/2 hours of soak time they would start retrieving and rebaiting. They would fish until 6 in the evening and be back in Guaymas by 8-9 PM. During 95 and 96, the boats working the Baja and mainland side unloaded 80 to 100 tons/day of dorado in Guaymas, with all boats passing within 500 meters of the Navy base and never had any problems.

The price in 1995 was 12 pesos/kilo. Working a 6 day week each person would make after expenses about $800.00/week. Each Panga has 3 people. From 94 thru 96 (3 years) the daily average catch stayed good at 1.5 to 2 tons per day of dorado, 10-15 sailfish and marlin (threw back most as there was little market) and 20-30 turtles. Because of weight restrictions and fear, they only kept the dead turtles, usually 5-6/boat/day. By the 97 season on the Baja, they were seeing a large decrease in dorado number and size as well as a decrease in turtles and sailfish. From that time on there has been a steady decrease in numbers. The first test boats that came to the Baja in June of 2006 this year from the Yaqui cooperativa in Guaymas, were only catching about 300 kilos/day. They will test it again in late June and hope to be here again in force by July. (We are checking on numbers of boats now). At the height of the 2006 and 2007 season. Boats were catching about 200-250 small 4-10 lb dorado (about 400 kilos per day) See more by searching “dorado” on the website.

Don’t miss the new video “Oro de Cortez” by Vince Radice below. It will give you an idea of the commercial dorado fishery damage and fishery that still exists. Conapesca (Mexico’s department of fisheries) is still trying to commercialize dorado even as the last dorado disappear!

Dorado part 1
Dorado part 2
Dorado part 3

Leave a comment:

1. I thought Dorado was among the species reserved for sport fishing. Don’t these rules apply to pangas?

   — David McMurdie · Sep 14, 16:13 · #

2. Dave, the dorado is a protected species for Sportsfishing, but since the mid 1980’s commercial fishing has been targeting them, taking over 80 dons a day in Guaymas alone. Put dorado in the website seach engine to see all the articles on this problem

   — Editor · Sep 14, 16:19 · #

3. When is the international community or a State going to bane the use of lone lines? This destroys countless animals that aren’t being targeted.

   — Guy · Sep 28, 20:51 · #