Baja California — The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) reports the seizure of a boat in the high Gulf of Baja California for illegal fishing.
Profepa officials say the seizure was made in coordination with the Navy Secretariat of Mexico (SEMAR), federal police, Gendarmerie Division and the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA) when a small fishing vessel was found illegally fishing in the Protected Natural Area of the Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and the Colorado River Delta.
Federal authorities detected the presence of a vessel with three crew members inside the ANP. When inspectors verified the location of the vessel by order of inspection, they requested the crew members provide the environmental impact authorization issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to carry out these extractive activities.
No such permit was provided, so officials proceeded to seize the vessel, its fishing gear and fish products. Profepa officers also noted that the vessel, which was 26 feet long, was without a name tag or visible license plate.
Officers say the boat was equipped with a 200-hp motor and three shrimp nets of around 350 meters in length with a white ice chest containing 8 kg of shrimp.
The vessel, motor, fishing gear and the fish products were seized and transferred to the port of San Felipe, Baja California to carry out the corresponding legal actions.