Scientist’s Report 10.20.23

Ship: Seahorse

Name: Laura S. & Heidy M.

Date: 20/10/2023

Ship’s Activity: Monitoring

Table 1. Small boat counting was done during the 20^th of October from 00:00 to 11:00 and from 18:00 to 23:00 with radar observations. The hours not represented in this table correspond to hours when no small boats were seen in the ZTA or outside.

Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA: 1.

Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA Extension: 1.

Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA Buffer Zone: 0.

At 06:00, a small boat was observed inside of the ZTA extension. An hour later, the small boat was confirmed fishing inside. The Navy was contacted immediately but the small boat left at 07:55 before they arrived. Divers began arriving inside the ZTA between 09:00-10:00.

At approximately 12:00 a Navy vessel Interceptor came to help us retrieve a ghost net in the south-central border inside the ZTA. Some of our crew went on the Interceptor together with two federal fisheries inspectors and tried several times to hook the net. After 45 minutes we managed to hook it, but it was too heavy to retrieve manually. At 14:00 we started to move towards the Seahorse to use the crane to get the ghost net out of the water. An hour later, the net was hooked on the crane and 40 minutes later all the ghost net was on the deck. It was a shrimp net estimated 450 meters long. The animals found consisted mostly of empty shells and dead crabs, which were released back to the water and the net was disposed to be recycled. Just after 16:00, all divers had left the ZTA.

Several small boats were observed in the early evening southwest from the ZTA, in front of San Felipe.

At 21:23, a small boat was seen on the radar inside of the ZTA. An hour later the small boat was confirmed fishing, and the Navy was contacted. Around 23:00, the small boat finished retrieving their net and left the ZTA.

Figure 1. Small fishing boat activity in the ZTA today, 20^th of October.

Figure 2. Small fishing boat activity in the ZTA Extension today, 20^th of October.

Figure 3. Radar screenshot at 6:59. Target number 78 is the small boat fishing.

Figure 4. Radar screenshot at 22:01. Target number 4 is the small boat fishing in the ZTA.

Figure 5. Photo of the ghost net on board the deck of the Seahorse.

Table 2. Number of animals found entangled in the ghost net, separated by group and if they were found dead or alive. Note that there was probably more invertebrates and other small sea life that died in the net that could not be noted.