Earth Ocean Farms (EOF), with the support of the federal and local governments, released 20,000 juvenile Totoaba, raised through sustainable aquaculture practices, as part of the yearly effort to restock the Gulf of California. This release adds up to other efforts carried out by EOF, resulting in the restocking of over 140,000 totoabas since the aquaculture company was created in 2014.
The Totoaba is an endemic fish of the Gulf of California that is in danger of extinction, due to illegal fishing for its swim bladder. This seafood conservation effort took place at Playa Santispac, Municipality of Mulege, in Baja California Sur, chosen for having the adequate characteristics for the juveniles to thrive, such as several small islands that offer protected surroundings.
Representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), as well as Wildlife NGO’s and local communities, attended this event.
EOF has been raising high quality Totoabas intended for human consumption, thanks to its Management Unit for the Conservation of Wildlife (UMA), which operates a state-of-the-art hatchery for the reproduction of the species in a sustainable manner, which helps to counteract the effects of over-exploitation and generates jobs in the region.
“Our main goal of this event is to involve society, especially children, since they are the future generation and we know that the way to have a sustainable planet is for them to learn how to do it. This release complies with all federal and local requirements established by Semarnat” stated Pablo Konietzko, CEO at EOF.
For many years the fishing of Totoaba was one of the most important in the Gulf of California, but also one of the first to show evidence of overexploitation. There is still a long way to go in the protection and the conservation of the totoaba, but these restocking activities bring hope to this emblematic fish.
