Ship: Seahorse
Name: RPH
Date: 24/03/2023
Ship’s Activity: Monitoring
Table 1. Small fishing boat counting was done during the night of the 23 th of march from 20:00 to 00:00 with radar observations, visual confirmations, and photography. The hours not represented in this table correspond to hours when no boats were seen in the ZTA or outside.
| Hour | ZTA | ZTA Buffer Zone | Outside ZTA |
| 20:00 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Table 2. Small fishing boat counting was done on the 24th of march from 00:00 to 20:00 with radar observations, visual confirmations, and photography. The hours not represented in this table correspond to hours when no boats were seen in the ZTA or outside.
| Hour | Inside ZTA | ||||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | Crossing | |
| 08:00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 09:00 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hour | ZTA Buffer Zone | |||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | |
| 03:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 06:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 07:00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 08:00 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 09:00 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 10:00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 11:00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 12:00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 13:00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 14:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 15:00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 16:00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 17:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hour | Outside ZTA | |||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | |
| 03:00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 06:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 07:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 08:00 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 09:00 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 10:00 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 11:00 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 12:00 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 13:00 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 14:00 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| 15:00 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 16:00 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 17:00 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 18:00 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 19:00 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA: 3.
Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA Buffer Zone: 10.
Around 7:35 am small fishing boats were detected fishing in the north of the ZTA, and we contacted the navy. Some minutes after they answered, we launched the drone to confirm the fishing nets inside the ZTA. At the same time, a big number of boats gathered just outside of the buffer zone. Around 8:45 am more than 30 pangas were fishing in the VR and the buffer zone and 3 were inside the ZTA, some minutes later the Navy interceptor arrived at the zone, started to talk with the fishing boats, and proceeded to remove the fishing gear inside of the ZTA. At the same time, the other fishing boats pulled their nets out and left the area.
They kept patrolling the area to search for more nets inside the ZTA.
At 11 35, the interceptor arrives at the area, and patrols around, in case more boats want to get inside the ZTA
Around 12:45 The Navy reconnaissance airplane flew over the area to inspect and patrol from the air.
After 2 pm the small boats started to go out of the buffer zone some towards San Felipe and some more stayed in the Vaquita refuge, around 6 pm most of the boats started their way back to San Felipe.
Figure 1. Small fishing boat activity in the ZTA today 24th of march.
Figure 2. Radar screenshot at 9:11 am, the navy with target 88 already picked up the fishing gear inside the ZTA and start to patrol the border of the ZTA, we can see the big number of fishing boats in the Vaquita Refuge at that time of the day.
