Beginning September 23rd, nearly 100 boats from Puerto Peñasco have headed into the Sea of Cortez in search of this season’s pink gold.
Boat owners, captains, and fishermen could be seen working on final preparations – filling boats with food and fuel – as they readied to head into the Sea of Cortez in the early hours of Wednesday, Sept. 23rd. Around 40 boats or so had already made their way to sea in preparation of the launch of this year’s Shrimp Season, which officially begins this weekend.
About 1,500 tons of shrimp are expected this season, as well as good sizes due in large part to effects from the phenomenon known as El Niño, explained José Gerardo Gastelum, Captain of the Mezde I, before boarding the boat that will be headed toward Yavaros.
“We have faith this will be a good season and that we’ll find good sizes, because El Niño brought food to the shrimp. We’ll head toward Yavaron and from there we’ll move near the Upper Gulf,” detailed the captain.
It is worth noting that shrimp capture is not impacted by the present two year prohibition on smaller boats for the use of gillnets in areas near the Upper Gulf of California.