CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (10 Jan 2007) -- The colorful game fish, with its iridescent green and yellow hues, is called dorado, which roughly translates to "golden one." It's wildly acrobatic at the end of a line and wonderfully delicious off the grill. Tourists in Mexico's southern Baja California can find it at many restaurants, usually listed under its other name of mahi mahi. But the difference between the fish served here and that in Hawaiian restaurants is that the Mexican variety, in some cases, is tainted gray ... as in gray area. Dorado and striped marlin, another species commonly sold as table fare, are among six types of fish in Mexico that are off-limits to commercial fishermen within 50 miles of shore. Clearly, then, something is fishy in paradise. This is nothing new, but with mounting concerns about exploitation, the local sportfishing association is asking tourists to consult their consciences before ordering dinner. It is also requesting, thus far with little success, that restaurant owners stop selling these fish. "We want to promote the non-commercialization of any species reserved for sportfishing," said Marco Ehrenberg, owner of Pisces Sportfishing and a member of the sportfishing and restaurant owners' associations. The federal protection, also afforded roosterfish, sailfish, swordfish and tarpon, is in support of a multimillion-dollar sportfishing industry in Baja California. Marlin is king, and most caught are released. Dorado is a close second. | | Dorado Many restaurants legally import dorado. But dorado and marlin also come from commercial fishermen and even sportfishing captains who persuade clients to donate their catch so they can feed their families, then sell it to restaurants. "Instead of looking for excuses and trying to find who's at fault, we have to start in our own homes," said Ehrenberg, who is also director of international affairs for the state of Baja California Sur. "We know that the sportfishing fleets are one of the sources of illegal marketing of dorado and marlin, so let's start locally. We don't need the government." The grass-roots campaign is a reaction to a much larger issue. Mexico reportedly is close to publishing into law a shark-fishing regulation that would allow commercial long-line fishermen as close as 10 miles from shore. Various groups contend that could result in widespread exploitation of untargeted fisheries, notably dorado and marlin. |
