Buenos tardes
Te paso una informe escrito por Conexión con la Vida Silvestre AC.
De nueva cuenta hacemos un reclamo a las autoridades correspondientes en el caso regulación de actividades y protección a las ballenas. Haciendo historia, en Febrero 3 de 2007 se reportó e hizo difusión del caso de una cría de ballena jorobada que en el área de Bahía de Banderas fue embestida por una embarcación produciéndole graves heridas en el lomo.
Para ese entonces se hizo un llamado de atención a las autoridades debido a la indiferencia de estas para hacer valer la ley que rige la actividad de observación de ballenas, dicha ley es violentada todos los días por una infinidad de embarcaciones que con todo lujo de impunidad salen a ver ballenas no solo sin permiso, que es requisito para la operación comercial de esta actividad, si no que además son quienes menos respetan a los animales, por lo que solo era cuestión de tiempo para que esto tuviera consecuencias para las ballenas.
Aunado a esto la autoridad correspondiente ha entregado un sin fin de permisos para la observación de ballenas en el área, sin establecer requisitos más estrictos para quienes realicen esta actividad y lo más importante sin considerar capacidad de carga que esta especie pueda soportar sin ser perjudicada por la actividad.
En los últimos años ha existido una estrecha colaboración entre las empresas bien constituidas y que han cumplido con todos los requisitos que la autoridad ha impuesto, se han entregado infinidad de reportes de embarcaciones ilegales y sobre los problemas que estas acarrean y no ha habido una respuesta. Algunos empresarios dedicados a la observación de ballenas han ofrecido a PROFEPA, Jalisco y Nayarit embarcaciones y apoyo económico para que puedan realizar las labores necesarias de vigilancia, sin embargo no se sabe que más requieren para actuar.
El incremento en el tráfico náutico y la falta de vigilancia en Bahía de Banderas ha cobrado SU SEGUNDA VICTIMA, nuevamente el día de hoy 30 de Enero de 2009 se encontró otra cría embestida por alguna embarcación la cual también le produjo heridas graves en su lomo (se anexan fotografías de la misma).
Esto es muy grave si consideramos que la Ballena Jorobada es una especie en peligro de extinción y que Bahía de Banderas es una zona muy importante para la reproducción de esta especie, además de fungir como zona de refugio para Madres con Crías durante invierno.
Así mismo México en 2002 creó el Santuario Nacional para Ballenas más grande del mundo al decretar todas las aguas patrimoniales de nuestro país como Área de Refugio para Grandes Ballenas, sin embargo aunque México no es un país con tradición en la caza de ballenas, no se ha visto en buen papel ya que últimamente se han reportado en diversos puertos del país incidentes que afectan a las ballenas tales como el enmallamiento, acoso de embarcaciones o embestidas por embarcaciones.
No sabemos hasta cuando las autoridades correspondiente pondrán atención a estos incidentes tanto en el desorden de la actividad turística, como el de embestidas y el de entallamientos, y que ahora si decidan cumplir con sus obligaciones, por el bien de las ballenas y la gente que depen de ellas, de igual manera deberían de hacerlo para poner en alto el nombre de México ya que si se dice que somos reserva para
las ballenas hay que REALMENTE PROTEGERLAS.
las ballenas hay que REALMENTE PROTEGERLAS.
Below is a press release from Conexión con la Vida Silvestre AC :
(please be aware that this is a translation by myself, not by the above charity).
Again we appeal to the authorities in responsible for the regulation of activities concerned with and the protection of whales.
On the 3rd of February 2007 an incident was reported to the local press of the plight of a humpback whale calf in the Banderas Bay that received serious injuries to its spine as a result of being hit by a boat.
This should have been a wake-up call to the authorities responsible for upholding the law that regulates whale watching, and which is broken every day by various unlicensed commercial whale watching vessels that go to view whales without fear of prosecution. To add insult to injury unlicensed vessels are less likely to respect the whales. It was only a matter of time until the humpbacks paid the price.
In addition to this the authority has issued a number of new permits for whale watching in the area without introducing stringent requirements for those conducting this activity and furthermore, without considering the load capacity that this species can withstand without being harmed by the activity.
In recent years the well-established ecoturism companies have worked together to meet all the requirements that the authorities have asked of them, and despite having written numerous reports on illegal boats and the problems that these cause,there has been no response from the authorities.
Some entrepreneurs involved in whale watching have offered PROFEPA, Jalisco and Nayarit economic support and vessels to undertake the work required to monitor the bay. It is not known what more they need in order to act.
The increase in marine traffic and lack of monitoring in the Bay of Banderas has today claimed ITS SECOND VICTIM (30th January 2009).
Once again on the 30th January 2009, another humpback whale calf was found displaying fatal wounds from a collision with a boat.
This is a serious problem if we consider that the Humpback whale is an endangered species and that the Bay of Banderas is one of its most important breeding grounds and acts as a sanctuary for mothers with young during the winter months.
Furthermore in 2002 Mexico created the National Sanctuary for Whales which is the largest in the world consisting of all the national seas. Mexico is not a country with a history of whaling even so its reputation has been damaged recently by various reports of entanglements and boat collisions.
We do not know when the authorities will pay attention to these incidents or to the problems with unlicensed commercial whale watching. For the sake of the whales and the people who rely on them, and furthermore to uphold Mexico’s name for if we say that Mexico is a reserve for whales then we should TRULY PROTECT THEM.
On the 3rd of February 2007 an incident was reported to the local press of the plight of a humpback whale calf in the Banderas Bay that received serious injuries to its spine as a result of being hit by a boat.
This should have been a wake-up call to the authorities responsible for upholding the law that regulates whale watching, and which is broken every day by various unlicensed commercial whale watching vessels that go to view whales without fear of prosecution. To add insult to injury unlicensed vessels are less likely to respect the whales. It was only a matter of time until the humpbacks paid the price.
In addition to this the authority has issued a number of new permits for whale watching in the area without introducing stringent requirements for those conducting this activity and furthermore, without considering the load capacity that this species can withstand without being harmed by the activity.
In recent years the well-established ecoturism companies have worked together to meet all the requirements that the authorities have asked of them, and despite having written numerous reports on illegal boats and the problems that these cause,there has been no response from the authorities.
Some entrepreneurs involved in whale watching have offered PROFEPA, Jalisco and Nayarit economic support and vessels to undertake the work required to monitor the bay. It is not known what more they need in order to act.
The increase in marine traffic and lack of monitoring in the Bay of Banderas has today claimed ITS SECOND VICTIM (30th January 2009).
Once again on the 30th January 2009, another humpback whale calf was found displaying fatal wounds from a collision with a boat.
This is a serious problem if we consider that the Humpback whale is an endangered species and that the Bay of Banderas is one of its most important breeding grounds and acts as a sanctuary for mothers with young during the winter months.
Furthermore in 2002 Mexico created the National Sanctuary for Whales which is the largest in the world consisting of all the national seas. Mexico is not a country with a history of whaling even so its reputation has been damaged recently by various reports of entanglements and boat collisions.
We do not know when the authorities will pay attention to these incidents or to the problems with unlicensed commercial whale watching. For the sake of the whales and the people who rely on them, and furthermore to uphold Mexico’s name for if we say that Mexico is a reserve for whales then we should TRULY PROTECT THEM.
Escrito por: Biol. M en C. MA. EUGENIA RODRIGUEZ V
Fotografias por: EDUARDO LUGO CABRERA
Gracias
Catherine
NB: En el 2008 la Ballena Jorobada fue reclasificada por el IUCN como especie de "Preocupacion menor", lo que significa que el riesgo de extincion es bajo.
