Following the actions carried out five years ago by Grupomar, in which the vessels El Diamante and Marflota III were donated to ASIPONA Manzanillo, to be sunk along with the Navy vessel Corso to create an artificial reef, the company celebrated in a statement that the Mexican government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), recently established a permanent partial fishing refuge zone called Manzanillo Bay.
The creation of the artificial reef was made possible thanks to the combined efforts of Grupomar as the donor of the vessels, local fishing cooperatives for the cleaning and decontamination of the vessels, as well as the authorities of ASIPONA, SEMAR, the Harbor Master’s Office, SEMARNAT, and the Mexican Institute for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (IMIPAS), who presented the project’s feasibility through environmental impact studies and carried out the necessary procedures to ensure its success.
Thanks to these actions, the agreement establishing the permanent partial fishing refuge zone of Manzanillo Bay was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation last September. This zone will allow recreational fishing, fishing for domestic consumption, and commercial fishing of marine finfish species using artisanal handlines and hooks of size 8 or larger. This measure contributes to the safety of local fishing and the livelihood of the cooperatives that depend on it, benefiting an estimated 100 families in the port of Manzanillo.
With the publication of this agreement, CONAPESCA and SEMAR acquire the authority to monitor and sanction those who carry out activities outside of the established limits in this fishing refuge zone, which measures 3.07 km².
Source: valor-compartido
