Cozumel Marine Park Rules

[halocline]

My guess is that the long-standing rule in the park is something like no feeding, no killing, no carrying of weapons, etc, and I bet that there's simply not been motivation and/or opportunity to formally change any rule like that. The lionfish infestation is relatively new, after all, and government rules tend to change slowly.

However, I'm sure there is an informal agreement that guides in the park will not be charged with breaking the rules if they kill lionfish and feed them to other animals. Whether this agreement has been expressed in an email, a meeting, some written statement, who knows.

 

[cvchief]

Someone has to get to the bottom of this; as to it's legal or illegal,

Why? That seems contrary to reality, which always seems to be that some 'rules' are more like guidelines..... *wink, wink* *nudge, nudge*

 

[redacted]

In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I think it is fairly clear that killing lionfish and feeding them to other fish is a violation of marine park rules ( Marine Park Rules - Cozumel Mexico Travel). As would be taking your light that has attracted worms and pushing it toward a coral to feed the polyps.

I concluded quite some time ago that it is illegal but acceptable. For your research project, why would it matter whether it is legal or simply acceptable? In many cases, the later may be more important anyway. Why compromise your project by opening Pandora"s box? Or is your project dealing with the legal aspect of dealing with lionfish rather than the scientific aspect?

 

[Ron Lee]

I do not read Spanish but this seems to suggests that it is approved

http://www.spearfishingtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Lionfish-Tournament-Cozumel.jpg


Seems like an accepted practice if the following is normal

5th Annual Cozumel Lionfish Tournament to take place August 25th | Cozumel 4 You



---------- Post added November 24th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ----------

Read this which sounds like it is approved by the marine park organization

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/324233-lionfish-tournament-announced.html

 

[soundfield]

It's important for me to know the rules because I want to include footage of aggressive behavior that feeding can cause, and if it is illegal I'm not going to post it to the world and have every anti-feeding activist on scubaboard or Facebook try to slander my work or find ways to harm the dive operation that I use; it's not fair to single them out when so many DM's are doing it. If it's not illegal and/or acceptable to Park officials, then I have the freedom to show it without fear of harming a business or being acaused of participating in an illegal activity. When one deals in controversial subjects such as this or shark feedings, one has to be ready for all the hate mail that will influx.. and it will, it always does. Everyone has an opinion, and many are fast to tell the world what those opinions are. My goal is always to remain as neutral as possible, present all of the facts on both sides of the argument and let the viewer make their own conclusions. It's so easy for people to criticizes information presented in a film project (everyones a "know it all") and I need facts, not opinions or what one may "think" is accurate information.

I have obviously asked a good question; many of you either do not know the answer, don't want to know the answer, or know the answer and are reluctant to say publicly. If it's acceptable, that's great; but until I hear it from the National Park Service (I have contacted them) I'm not going to give others an opportunity to attack one specific dive operation.

The project is intended to show the unknowing public the damages the invasion is causing, what people are doing to combat it, what is working, what is not working, and what the future may look like in the years to come. It will also debunk the myths about Lionfish and there are plenty. It takes a lot of time and effort to attain accurate information. The web is filled with misinformation and all of it needs to be cross-referenced and validated, not to do so is just irresponsible and I won't do it. "Most" people have no idea what goes into a conservation film/video project, if they did, they'd better appreciate the effort, time and money that it takes to provide truthful facts to viewers. It's something we need more of in this world; truth and facts, not opinion and self-interest propagandized misinformation. The park service's response will determine the direction of the project. Thanks to the Scubaboard community for giving your input. That's all I have to say in this thread, I will leave the future posts up to you all.

Dive Safe!

 

[MMM]

What that says is they may be hunted, not fed to other marine life like doggie treats.

I do not read Spanish but this seems to suggests that it is approved

http://www.spearfishingtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Lionfish-Tournament-Cozumel.jpg


Seems like an accepted practice if the following is normal

5th Annual Cozumel Lionfish Tournament to take place August 25th | Cozumel 4 You



---------- Post added November 24th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ----------

Read this which sounds like it is approved by the marine park organization

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/324233-lionfish-tournament-announced.html

 

[ccannon707]

And what triple "M" said is the real problem. Marine life higher up on the food chain are associating humans with food. It won't be long before they start to associate humans as food. Those behavioral changes are the real danger. B.

I'm very worried about the mutton snapper that follows us around on dives... (sarcasm alert). In my observation they are the main ones that have "learned" humans have food, i.e. lion fish speared and left for them.

 

[JimmyboyAAA]

I dive Cozumel twice a year and dive with the same Mexican DM each time and I have a blast with him. He spears lion fish and yes he feeds them to the eels and groupers etc. He told me that the park trains them and then encourages lion fish hunting. This guy grew up in Cozumel and when I asked him what he does on his day off, "I go diving." I have no doubt that what he says is true, that the park trained him and then encourages lion fish hunting.

 

[Prop Joe]

Just a suggestion here:
If your truly interested in being "scientific", do your hunting and filming outside of the marine park where the park hunting rules do not apply = no issues. You could maybe even say it was outside the marine park when it may have been on the fringe of the park boundaries... Not that I would ever condone such behavior. By all means do what your comfortable with in your reporting.
Trust me there is plenty of lion fish hunting going on in the north and east sides of the island. I can tell you around the time of the lion fish tournament, the lion fish in the north (out of the park) are scarce and you must go deeper to find the bigger ones. They get smart after they have been shot at and missed. The bigger ones are especially keen to know when they are being hunted. It makes it a challenge IMO. There are restaurants that will cook them for you. No need to give them all to the eels and sharks, they are good eating!

 

[DandyDon]

Why? That seems contrary to reality, which always seems to be that some 'rules' are more like guidelines..... *wink, wink* *nudge, nudge*

This is not the time nor place for Padi bashing...