An artificial reef, created by 9 old ships that were used by the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) in surveillance, patrolling, search and rescue, will avoid a conflict between Mexico and the United States for illegal fishing.
“Currently, fishermen from the northern area of Tamaulipas are beginning to migrate to the waters of the northern country (United States) where they carry out red snapper fishing activities illegally,” says Antonio Varela Flores, Secretary of Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture. from Tamaulipas.
“This situation begins to generate a conflict of interests between both nations,” the official reveals in a document held by Forbes Mexico.
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To prevent this conflict between Mexico and the United States from becoming even greater, the Tamaulipas Artificial Reef System has been under construction for months, which will generate a habitat for the refuge and feeding of the huauchinango species, as well as other commercially important fish species. , without forgetting those species with environmental value in the marine environment, he assures.
The creation of the Tamaulipas Artificial Reef System will occur through the sinking of the former coastal patrol vessels Morro (PC-281), Mastún (PC-282) y Hurricane (PC-401)which were donated by the Secretary of the Navy.
And the consolidation and completion of the Artificial Reef System will be completed with the scheduled sinking of the former ARM frigates Francisco Javier Mina (F-214), Guadalupe Victoria (F-213) e Ignsteel Allende (F-211)as well as former coastal patrol vessels Zamora (PO-109), Ortega (PO-114) y Onjuku (BI-02). These ships were also from the Armed Forces.
The sinking of the ships donated by the Secretary of the Navy will be carried out at a distance of 15.59 meters in front of the Port of Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
“The red snapper fishery is one of the most important activities in the economy of the Gulf of Mexico, with the state of Tamaulipas being the one that concentrates 25.7 percent of all catches made in the Gulf of Mexico,” says Antonio Varela Flores.
He adds that the red snapper fishery is reaching its catch limit, at which point it could be considered at risk of deterioration.
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Specifically for the state of Tamaulipas, there is a capture record, which mentions that in 2016 it reached its highest historical value of 1,597 tons.
Starting this year, catches have gone down and fishing effort has gone up, that is, a greater number of boats, fishermen and fishing gear, which results in lower catches per fisherman.
The government of the State of Tamaulipas has proposed strategies to improve fishing conditions, one of them is the sinking of military vessels donated by the Secretary of the Navy for the creation of an artificial reef area.
The artificial reef area will generate marine ecosystems that will be able to support food chains that provide commercial fish for fishermen, becoming points of importance for fishing, where the target species such as the red snapper is expected to congregate at these points to carry out their fishing processes. feeding and growth, in addition to being considered a refuge area for them.
The sinking of ships involves a series of technical and economic measures, considering legal aspects and the coordinated application of human, material and financial resources, as well as the fact of observing and complying with the national and international legislation that corresponds to such case. observing transparency in the processes that are conducted.
Currently, ships and boats destined to sink undergo a preparation process that includes the removal of materials that may be harmful to the environment. This preparation consists of carrying out a complete evaluation of the state of the unit to determine its condition and the possible risks associated with its dismantling.
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“The total amount has not yet been defined. But there is a quote from a supplier that can clean the three ex-frigates (ships) for a total amount of 13 million 786 thousand pesos,” says Secretary of Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture of Tamaulipas.
It details that the Tamaulipas Artificial Reef System consists of 2 project phases, “in which sinking of ships that belonged to the Ministry of the Navy will be carried out, with a total of 9 vessels including coastal patrols and combat frigates.”
These are the old Semar ships
1.— El ex buque Patrulla Costera Morro (P281) de la Armada de México tenía como base el puerto de Lerma, Campeche, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 25.30 metros; Manga: 5.20 metros y Altura Máxima: 11.25 metros.
2.— El ex buque Patrulla Costera Mastún (P282) de la Armada de México tenía como base el puerto de Lerma, Campeche, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 25.30 metros; Manga: 5.20 metros y Altura Máxima: 11.25 metros.
3.— El ex buque Patrulla Costera Huracán (PC-041) de la Armada de México tenía como base el puerto de Lerma, Campeche, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 61.70 metros; Manga: 7.62 metros y Altura Máxima: 17.50 metros.
4.— La ex fragata ARM “Fco. Javier Mina (F-214) tenía como base el puerto de Tuxpan, Veracruz, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 133.50 metros, Manga: 14.29 metros y Altura Máxima sin mástil: 29.60 metros.
5.— La ex fragata ARM Guadalupe Victoria (F-213) tenía como base el puerto de Tuxpan, Veracruz, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 133.50 metros, Manga: 14.29 metros y Altura Máxima sin mástil: 29.60 metros.
6.— La ex fragata ARM Ignacio Allende (F-211) tenía como base el puerto de Tuxpan, Veracruz, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 133.50 metros, Manga: 14.29 metros y Altura Máxima sin mástil: 29.60 metros.
7.— El ex buque Patrulla Costera Ortega (P109) de la Armada de México tenía como base el puerto de Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 67.40 metros, Manga: 9.70 metros y Altura Máxima: 13.70 metros.
8.— El ex buque Patrulla Costera Ortega (P106) de la Armada de México tenía como base el puerto de Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 67.40 metros, Manga: 9.70 metros y Altura Máxima: 13.70 metros.
9.— El ex buque Patrulla Costera Onjuku (B102) de la Armada de México tenía como base el puerto de Veracruz, Veracruz, teniendo las siguientes dimensiones: Eslora: 36.90 metros, Manga: 8.00 metros y Altura Máxima: 11.00 metros.
