Combating abandoned plastic fishing gear for ocean resilience at the Gulf of California, Mexico

Project Summary

Since 2016, we have been working to remove abandoned fishing nets in the Upper Gulf of California – home to the world's most endangered marine mammal: the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). We carry out this work in three ways: locating nets with a grappling hook in muddy-bottom areas, where we have recovered 1,224 nets; manually extracting nets from rocky bottoms, amounting to 1.3 metric tons; and collecting discarded nets on land to prevent them from reaching the sea, totalling 34 metric tons. While collection has been effective, recycling remains a challenge: viable solutions already exist for industrial nets made of nylon and other fabrics, but the plastic nets used by small-scale fishers cannot yet be recycled cost-effectively.

Presentation of the Organization

Pesca ABC is a grassroots non-profit organization, founded in 2016 by artisanal fishers from San Felipe, Mexico, with the mission of improving the quality of life for local families through the conservation of the marine ecosystem and sustainable fisheries. Our vision is a future in which the Upper Gulf of California's marine resources are used sustainably, generating well-being and prosperity for all the inhabitants of San Felipe and its marine ecosystem.