Young people during the rescue of children tangled in nets. This happened in March, next to the Ajijic pier. Photo: Facebook

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- Due to the danger that abandoned fishing nets pose near the shores of the lake, the acting Ajijic delegate, Maximiano Macías Arceo, said that he is seeking to have them removed, and is looking for the means and people who can help with the removal.

Within the last eighteen months, there have been instances reported in which the abandoned nets cause problems for tourists and people swimming near them, as well as for the fauna of the lake. In March, two children were trapped in the nets and had to be rescued by municipal authorities.

Macías Arceo said that he has been concerned about the situation for some time and recently met with the president of the Lake Chapala Fishermen’s Union, José Luis Morales Gutiérrez, to seek a solution to the problem. He pointed out that those responsible for removal are the fishermen’s cooperatives together with the Rural Development Department and the National Commission of Agriculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA).

Caption 2: Crabs stuck in an abandoned net in Ajijic. Photo: Facebook

«We met with them to ask if we could remove the abandoned nets that cause problems, for example, the one near Crucita beach. We need their permission as we only have the authority to report problems, not to remove the nets which would in fact be against the law. As it stands, those authorized to take action are already aware of the problem and have met with the Government of Chapala to discuss how to deal with abandoned or prohibited nets in the water,» said the official.

Macias Arceo added that during the meeting, he was told that most of the abandoned nets belong to people who come from outside the area and forget the nets they leave anchored near the coast. 

In spite of not having an exact number, he said that he knew of several nets that were located in prohibited areas: the law states that nets must not be within 100 meters of the shore in tourist zones, and not within 50 meters in non-tourist zones. Yet authorities have identified some nets within 30 meters from the shore.

The Chapala port captain, Rafael Narez Armenta, said that they have received many complaints regarding nets. However, monitoring fishing nets does not fall under their authority as they are in charge of the surveillance of water vessels. Even so, he encouraged Chapala and lakeside residents to file complaints about problems involving nets.

To file a complaint with CONAPESCA, which is based in Sinaloa, call 01 669-915-6913 and provide as much detailed information as possible on the town and location of the problem. According to the operator, these reports are always followed up on, although there is no specific timeline followed from the date the complaint is made. 

Translated by Rebecca Zittle