2021 SeaWatch Newsletter

With 90% of the BCS Federal Fisheries inspectors gone for all of 2020 ROC's expanded vigilance is more important than ever. SeaWatch has spent the last 27 years promoting reef and reef fish recovery in the Sea of Cortez. In the last 10 years, ROC (Red de Observadores Ciudadanos), a citizen driven vigilance program and Espiritu Santo es Parte de Ti, a communication campaign prompting pride and good practices in the Espiritu Santo National Park, have become our  Read More...

ROC doubles vigilance during Covid closures. Last week, ROC's three patrol boats covered over 330 miles of coastline in the Bay of La Paz and South to Muertos. One boat going north to San Jose Island, another spent several days at the Espiritu Santo National Park while the third patrolled south around Cerralvo and Muertos Bay. Fish traps are becoming ubiquitous around La Paz and Muertos Bay areas and they are indiscriminate killers of fish. While legal there are restrictions on how they can be used. ROC is working with Read More...

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December 2019 SeaWatch Newsletter

After all the success in 2019 we face new challenges in 2020. SeaWatch formed in 1993 is concerned with the rapidly declining fish populations in the Sea of Cortez. In 2009, SeaWatch, funded changes in federal fishing laws, initiated and helped launch Red de Observadores Ciudadanos (ROC), a citizen-driven non-profit organization whose mission is to stop illegal fishing in Espíritu Santo National Park and monitor illegal activities in the Bay of La Paz. Read More...

Read through these pages and watch the videos to learn of the amazing progress in the recovery of the Espiritu Santo National Park. Through the ongoing efforts of the two SeaWatch supported campaigns Espiritu Santo es parte de ti (Espiritu Santo is part of you) and "ROC" the restoration of the depleted reefs and reef fish is becoming a success. Read the Article Here...

2018 was a busy year for the Espiritu Santo es parte de ti (Espiritu Santo is part of you) campaign. Projects included video production, work towards a single-use plastics ban, local school presentations, an art competition, mural painting, and an appearance on TEDx talks. All while continuing the teams efforts towards parrotfish protection in restaurants, grocery stores and the legal protection of the species. Read More...

In 2017, ROC's patrol boats assisted federal fisheries authorities with the confiscation of 13 illegal fishing boats, including equipment and catch. In 2018, SeaWatch provided $20,000 to ROC for a new 175 HP Suzuki motor and a bigger patrol boat. Since April of 2018 there have been no boats caught illegally fishing at Espiritu Santo National Park. Fish populations, already on the rise in 2017, have made a dramatic comeback, especially the heavily targeted parrotfish. Read More...

The year began with a SeaWatch sponsored fishing regulation banning compressed air for all fish extraction nationwide becoming the law of the land. This now illegal technique has destroyed most of the reef fish and reefs in the Sea of Cortez over the last 15 years (See: Barren Reefs). This new regulation rejuvenated a very successful vigilance program Read More...

Read the Sea Watch year-end newsletter for an overview of our key accomplishments of 2013. In 2009 Sea Watch partnered with Noroeste Sustentable (NOS) and several local NGO's to create an organization called Plataforma which had the goal of creating sustainable fisheries in the Bay of La Paz and surrounding area (70 miles of coastline). Read More...

SeaWatch – The year in review. Please read the December 2010 SeaWatch newsletter – The year in review. It is surprising and uplifting to see what has happened in just one year. Read More...