Mexico checking anglers’ passports

Three sportfishing boats boarded by navy; one ordered to leave waters near Cedros Island

Written by Ed Zieralski 9:36 p.m., July 31, 2011
San Diego-based sportfishing boats, which have been having a tough time because of poor fishing offshore, lately have been encountering problems with the Mexican government over passports.

Last week, three sport boats — the Horizon, a dive boat out of H&M Landing, and the Royal Polaris and the Searcher out of Fisherman’s Landing — were boarded and detained by the Mexican navy off Cedros Island. Passengers were checked for passports. (note: Pass-cards don't work for air or boat travel). One of the boats, the Royal Polaris, was told to leave Cedros by the captain of a Mexican navy boat because one of the anglers did not have a U.S. passport.

Long-range boats are scrambling to make sure all of their anglers have current passports, but there also is confusion for shorter fishing trips into Mexican waters.

Carlos Luken of the San Diego-based CONAPESCA, Mexico’s national aquaculture and fishing commission, said Americans must have a yearly Mexican fishing license ($44.80) to fish in Mexico from a boat. A Mexican sport-fishing license is not required for shore fishing. Luken wasn’t aware of the passport requirement and recommended anglers call the Mexican consulate general to get that information. Calls to the consulate general’s office in San Diego were not returned.

John Yamate, part owner and office manager of Seaforth Sport-fishing, said his landing is telling all anglers who plan to fish in Mexico to bring a passport. But at this point, he said they’re not required for three-quarter-day or one-day trips into Mexican waters.

“I’m telling them if they have a passport to bring it,” Yamate said. “But we are not aware of any change in the regulations or policy at this point.”

Michelle Gandola, a spokeswoman for the Sport-fishing Association of California, said association officials are working on the issue with Mexican officials at CONAPESCA, the fisheries representatives, and the Mexican consulate general.

“We’re trying to get some kind of official statement from the Mexican government,” Gandola said. “But as far as we know, no new Mexican regulation or policy has come out about passport requirements on sport boats. All we know is that a few of our boats were boarded, and passengers were asked to produce passports.”

Gandola said right now there “are no specific answers and nothing in writing to show anything was changed” regarding passports for U.S. anglers.

“We’ve been operating in Mexico for over 50 years and have had great relations with Mexico,” Gandola said of the sport-fishing fleet’s relationship with Mexico. “Our hope is that we can work this out and that it’s just a slight hitch that can be taken care of so we can get back to operating without any additional requirements.”

Local sources said the issue began a few weeks ago when three-quarter-day boats were stopped by a Mexican navy boat around the Coronado Islands. The boat captains were asked if all the anglers had passports and if the captain had a boat permit to be in Mexico. The captains told the Mexican navy captain that passports weren’t required and that boat permits also had been done away with a few years ago. The CONAPESCA website indicates the requirement for boat permits for U.S. sport boats ended in January 2008. There also is nothing stated about anglers needing passports to fish in Mexico from a San Diego-based sport-fishing boat.