That's My Story

Given all the controversy about the new Shark Norma laws and how upset we are about how it’s going to wipe out the Sea of Cortez as we know it, I wanted to share some info that was forwarded to me. It came from a piece written in the San Diego Union Tribune by Sandra Dibble. It’s pretty enlightening.

Ever since I started writing a few weeks ago, about the Shark Norma laws and it’s impact, I get tons of e-mails with people asking, “Can’t the Mexican government see what this will do?” “Do they realize what they are doing?” “Don’t they know how powerful the fisherman’s dollars are?” “Are they THAT crazy?”

Actually, the answer is Yes…Yes…Yes…and Yes! But there is method in the perceived madness. It’s really not madness at all. If we accept the premise that politics is politics and business is business worldwide and further that everyone acts in their own self-interest, this is all very easy to explain how such “madness” could be allowed. It all comes down to dollars. Commerical dollars vs. sport dollars.

There was time when our sport dollars really meant something. No doubt, sportfishing dollars opened the Baja doors to the world. But, they don’t mean that much anymore. Cry all you want about how you and your buddies aren’t coming back if there’s no fish but I tend to think it’s like spitting into the wind.

Check this out. You and your four buddies each drop $1000 for your summer fishing trip. That’s 4 grand into the Baja economy. Whoo-hooo! But, the real estate developer sells a half-million dollar house to a guy from Kansas; another to a couple from Washington; and two more to some folks from Orange Co. That’s TWO MILLION bucks into the economy. Mr. Developer will sell 20 of those lots this week.

Who has the political and economic clout? Not the fishermen. Who would YOU listen to if you were in power? In your own line of work, do you pay more attention to the big buck customer or the small dollar customer? All YOU really care about is some good fishing; a nice clean hotel; and some cold brew around the pool. The folks who bought the homes want a marina for their boat; a golf course; nice restaurants, a spa; McDonalds for the kids; a Walmart…you get the idea.

The paradox, however, is that so many gringo fishermen…the baby boomers, if you will, with disposable income…are also the same people now that are looking for the real estate and amenities. That’s you and me, Bunky! Second homes. Vacation homes. A spot of paradise on the beach. Beachfront Concepcion Bay is still more affordable than Newport Beach CA!

I make the point that we can no longer have both. Third-world folks could care less about saving sharks. They’re too busy trying to feed the familes. First world folks have extra money and education. They want to save the sharks…and the whales…and the pelicans and the environment. They know EXACTLY where their next meal is coming from. But, they also want all the perks of being first-world citizens…restaurants, golf courses, marinas, gas stations for our Suburbans and Humvees, etc. I can’t say I blame them. I like a good steak too!

So, we rise up and rail against evils of the new Shark Norma regulations that threaten to purge OUR Sea of Cortez. The Cortez of our childhood. The Cortez of our dads and Fred Hoctor, and Neil Kelly, Gene Kira and Ray Cannon. But, by-golly-gosh-darn, we’re also snapping up real estate in the Baja as fast as we can find it and pushing for all the things that make life good.

So, along comes Sandra Dibble’s article in the San Diego Union Tribune. It points to a MEXICAN study that says the Baja cannot sustain the kind of growth it’s experiencing and predicts a basic collapse of services and resources. Using words like environmental “time bomb,” it points fingers at it’s OWN government for once. (Usually, these studies are always done by someone else like the U.S. telling other people what’s wrong with them.) This particular study is done by a neutral, non-profit Mexico City think-tank of intellectuals called the Mexican Institute of Competitiveness (IMCO) and criticizes developers tendencies to appeal to the high-end tourist market with luxury hotels and golf courses.

Never mind Shark Norma wiping out the Sea of Cortez. Look inland. This study says that the Baja’s infrastructure for sewage, water, electricity and other resources simply cannot sustain what the future is bringing. Heck, the Mexican infrastructure can barely handle it’s own population. Traffic; pollution; inadequate water supplies; etc. are just a few of the impending problems…with water being the most abused and competitive resource. The typical golf course uses enough water for 6,000 residents.

Quoting from the article,”What this shows us is that this style of development is not economically competitive, and in the long run, you’re bringing in tourists who spend less and don’t recognize the value of the destination. “ Economically, although it means more jobs, competitiveness by hotels mean lower room rates and lower wages for locals.

Fueled largely by U.S. demand for real estate, the study points to such things as Loreto which is slated for 4 golf courses, 6500 new residences and 7000 more hotel rooms. At the current rate, in the next 40 years, Baja itself will see an increase of 31,000 to 400,000 new hotel rooms. Local government is doing little to regulate the growth. The boom is on! Forget sleepy little Baja, fish brothers and sisters.

Some of these folks are you and me! But believe me, most of the others could care less about Shark Norma or that you and I won’t have tuna or dorado to catch in 10 years. But we want our places in the sun and we want our fish in the water. That may ultimately be impossible to reconcile.

So, what do we do? I don’t know. I’m just the fishing guy. I don’t have a house on the beach, but I would like one someday. I also want to be able to still catch my pargo and roosters too. And I’m still going to bang my drum against Shark Norma too.

And it’s nice that Office Depot is now in town. And Costco. And Starbucks.

So maybe the answer behind Shark Norma is as simple as looking in the mirror. They know EXACTLY what they are doing. Business as usual. Supply and demand. Who do you think is eating all that fish they’re going to catch?

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.