Ship: Seahorse
Name: Laura S. & Martí Ll.
Date: 15/11/2023
Ship’s Activity: Monitoring
| Hour | Small boats Inside ZTA | ||||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | Crossing | |
| 06:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 07:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 08:00 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 09:00 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 10:00 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 13:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19:00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 20:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hour | Small boats in the ZTA Extension | ||||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | Crossing | |
| 06:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 07:00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 08:00 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| 09:00 | 30 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 10:00 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 11:00 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 12:00 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 13:00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Table 1. Small boat counting was done during the 15th of November from 00:00 to 22:00 with radar observations. The hours not represented in this table correspond to hours when no small boats were seen in the ZTA or outside.
| Hour | Small boats in the Buffer Zone | ||||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | Crossing | |
| 09:00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 10:00 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11:00 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 12:00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 13:00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Hour | Small boats in the VR | |||
|
Total |
Net Fishing | Divers | Potential Net Fishing | |
| 06:00 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 07:00 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 08:00 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 09:00 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 10:00 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| 11:00 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| 12:00 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 13:00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 14:00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA: 0.
Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA Extension: 20.
Total number of different small fishing boats fishing today in the ZTA Buffer Zone: 2.
Small boat activity started after 7:00 and increased two hours later. At 9:00 about 30 small boats were seen in the ZTA Extension, and at least 20 nets (pair of flags in the water) were counted with binoculars in the extension. Considering that visual observation of nets in the water have limitations regarding identifying the same ones during the following hours, the number of different small boats fishing in the extension is a downward approximation. After that we headed north of the ZTA as we saw targets on the radar in the northwest. Once we were in the north corner, we counted about 80 targets in the Vaquita Refuge north of the ZTA. At 10:00, one small boat was detected inside just in the border with the buffer zone. We launched the drone and we saw they were retrieving a net, but as they were pulling it up, they moved outside of the ZTA; they finished around 10:30. We moved back to the center area of the ZTA; the Navy vessel Interceptor was patrolling the area since 9:00 approximately, and we saw how they were next to some small boats that had crossed the line from the extension to the ZTA, making them go out of the area.
At 13:00, the weather started to change and by 13:30 the wind started to increase due to a storm. Most of the small boats started the way back to San Felipe, some of them crossing the ZTA.
At 19:00 two small boats appeared, one towing the other. The weather was rough and one of them asked for help as they had engine problems. We contacted the Navy and we started to tow them back to San Felipe, and shortly before 21:00 the Navy arrived and took over. Afterwards we headed to Puerto Peñasco for provisioning.
Figure 1. Small fishing boat activity in the ZTA today, 15th of November.
Figure 2. Small fishing boat activity in the ZTA Extension today, 15th of November.
Figure 3. Radar screenshot at 10:00. Target 49 is the small boat retrieving a net in the ZTA border.
