Every day, the United States Coast Guard faces new challenges: from search and rescue to law enforcement to coastal defense. And while it is well known for protecting people, it’s also in charge of protecting something a little… fishier.
South Padre Island Coast Guard crew seizing 1,000 pounds of illegally caught sharks on Sunday.
“The Coast Guard has been in the [fishing] enforcement game for a long time,” said Rear Adm. Jo-Ann Burdian. In fact, the US Coast Guard announced in 2020 that it would particularly focus on “illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing” (IUU fishing) by improving targeted, effective, intelligence-driven enforcement. IUU fishing poses an especially grave threat to the United States because it is the largest market for fish and fish products, the third largest producer of wild seafood, and the fifth biggest exporter. It is not uncommon for US Coast Guard crews to seize illegal captures of fish, like red snapper and sharks. And Sunday saw a similar scene play out with a South Padre Island Coast Guard crew seizing 1,000 pounds of illegally caught sharks.
While it is unclear where in Mexico the fishermen – caught pulling sharks out from the ocean into their boat while wearing fluorescent green waders – are from, some believe they are from nearby Playa Bagdad. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Sergeant James Dunks told NPR in 2011 that there was a specific reason residents of Playa Bagdad, a small fishing village south of the border, search for fish in the US waters: “They have just pretty much claimed that they have fished all their fish out of their end of the water, so that’s why they’ve been coming across.” It’s not a completely unfounded claim, as overfishing is one of the biggest threats facing our oceans and is a direct result of fishing activities. “Almost 90 percent of global marine fish stocks are now fully exploited or overfished, and wild capture fisheries struggle without sound regulatory frameworks and strong enforcement,” reports The World Bank.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, however, has transformed the United States into an international leader in fisheries management. “When a stock becomes overfished, a Council (or, for Atlantic highly migratory species, NOAA Fisheries) must develop a rebuilding plan to rebuild the stock to a sustainable target level. Typically, the plan allows fishing to continue at a reduced level so the stock can rebuild to its target level and produce its maximum sustainable yield. This approach keeps fishermen and waterfronts working while stocks rebuild,” explains The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “NOAA Fisheries monitors rebuilding stocks and, through the Council process, adjusts management measures to increase stock abundance to a target level that supports MSY. When a rebuilding stock increases above the overfished threshold, the stock is removed from the overfished list but remains under its rebuilding plan until it is fully rebuilt.”
The lancha (boat) used by these fishermen is a slender speed boat that is known to be used for drug … [+]
It is estimated that the U.S. imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood derived from IUU fishing in 2019, despite government initiatives in the past to combat this problem. Spotting the offenders is just one of the actions that need to be taken, which is easier said than done, as the US coastaline stretches more than 95,471 miles. A stretch of water around 23 meters wide separates the two countries in Southern Texas, so shallow that one can walk across it at low tide – but few people do. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) notes that cartels often use the coastal plains for dumping bodies or transporting drugs. The lancha (boat) used by these fishermen is a slender speed boat that is known to be used for drug trafficking between Matamoros, Mexico, and Texas. But no drugs were found on the boat, with only fishing gear, radios, GPS devices, and high flyer fishing poles on board, authorities state.
Although one of the top predators in the oceans, overfishing is also the biggest threat looming over sharks. Globally, shark and ray populations have declined by more than 70%. The species could be completely wiped out if overfishing continues, which is what makes these operations crucial to their survival. Fishing for sharks in Texas isn’t illegal, however, with anglers being able to catch one of certain allowed species daily according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.
