5 minute read
Conservation Q&A with Roberto Luis Herrera Pavón
Roberto Luis Herrera Pavón
Fishing Guide and Environmental Researcher, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Xcalak, Mexico
Who taught you how to fish and how old were you?
My uncle, nicknamed “Ruso.” He always took me to cast-net for mullet and yellowfin mojarras on the beach for recreation and subsistence. I also learned artisanal commercial fishing from my parents and grandparents about beach traps—known as heart-and-tail traps. My parents taught me to harvest and salt fish starting when I was five or six years old and I started fishing with my father when I was 15. During that time, I also began to commercially fish for lobster, queen conch and finfish in my town, Xcalak, and Banco Chinchorro Atoll. Both areas are protected natural areas today.
I first observed fly-fishing at the beginning of the 1980s around San Pedro, Belize, and years in Xcalak, Mexico, at Costa de Cocos. This caught the attention of my uncle, Nato, who began guiding in the early 1990s. I accompanied him every now and then on his trips. On some occasions, I guided visiting fly-fishers in Xcalak when the guides in town weren’t available. From that point, I saw the importance and economic benefit of fly-fishing. Since then, I have tried to make the local fishermen and surrounding communities understand the importance of protecting and conserving flats habitat. The area is part of the Xcalak Reefs National Park, and since 1998 a major threat to the area has been the project to expand the Zaragoza Canal for a tourist development, which would impact this important breeding and feeding ground for bonefish in Chetumal Bay in Mexico and the adjacent Bacalar Chico National Park in Belize.
What distinguishes Chetumal Bay as a fly-fishing destination?
It has low areas with sandy and rocky bottom where bonefish are abundant along with large schools of permit. The bay also has sinkholes, known as “pozas,” in different areas close to freshwater outlets and river tributaries. These sinkholes are subterranean and have rocky surroundings where there is an abundance of tarpon and baitfish. The bay also has creeks and rivers where we can find snook. We can also find about 10 more species for sport fishing, such as mackerel, wahoo, barracudas, horse-eye jack, snappers, groupers and some cichlids, like the “bocona” and the “pinta.” The bay is a protected natural area where commercial fishing is no longer allowed, so the few commercial fishermen are beginning to sport fish instead.
In what ways do you encourage marine conservation as a researcher and guide?
As a researcher, I know one way to start solving the problems at hand is by involving people from the local community, more commercial fishermen, and fly-fishing guides because they are the best allies and are very knowledgeable about the species in the area. As a guide, I believe in supporting and involving fishermen and their children in conservation projects, and training them in flats fishing, and always motivating them until they achieve a change in their way of seeing natural resources, especially the important species for flats fishing. They understand that these species are worth more alive than dead and that catch-and-release fishing is sustainable.
Can you tell us about your work to tag bonefish with BTT’s Dr. Addiel Perez?
It was a beautiful experience based on a common hypothesis about the migration of the species and the connectivity that exists between areas of Chetumal Bay and the Caribbean Sea of Belize and Mexico. The effort was a collaboration with commercial fishermen and fishing guides who know the area well and, consequently, where bonefish are abundant. Another important part was the involvement of the local fishing communities, who helped to support the effort by reporting tag data from tagged bonefish. Later, we went back to these communities and presented the results of the study. We talked with them about the movement patterns found, and in this way they felt more involved in the conservation work of bonefish. This later led to an effort involving local guides and anglers to hold the area’s first international fly-fishing tournament, Silver Scales. The same tournament is still thriving and now is a festival, benefiting the guides and, especially, the species.
How has your understanding of bonefish changed since working on the bonefish tagging effort?
It was a pleasure to work on bonefish tagging. I always learn something new about the ecology and biology of the fish, and about the fishery, especially the relationship between sport and commercial fishermen. The former have become defenders of the species and, little by little, they are integrating commercial fishermen friends of theirs into sport fishing. That mitigates the impact on the species. In addition, I always try to help protect the habitats of the bonefish from coastal development.
If you were to give one tip to a new angler, what would you say?
I would say to be responsible—ethical—because it is a delicate process, and to educate oneself on the proper use of fishing gear and tackle. We should learn from each angler we fish with, and of course enjoy each safe capture and release of the fish.
What is your favorite part of being on the flats?
Enjoying the parade of the great bonefish schools during their spawning migration season.
