Meet the Captains - Pablo Gonzalez Gonzalez

by Ed Kunze

It is 6:15 in the morning. Your taxi has just dropped you off at the Municipal Pier. You have fished here before and you know your boat and the captain. You are fairly well dialed in. You head directly to the tables in front of Arturo’s corner store to get a cup of coffee and a donut while Arturo’s wife, Eliva, makes you a couple of sandwiches for your lunch. The fresh warm bolillo with the egg and shredded beef you ordered is only 1 of 8 different fillings she makes. Each time you go fishing, her lunches are one of the things you really look forward to.

While sipping your coffee, you start talking to another fisherman, and from his questions, it is obvious this is his first time here. You willingly answer his questions because you were there once yourself, besides you both have a common denominator- anticipating the great fishing you are about to experience today. But, you hit a big stone wall when he asks; “Where do we get our fishing license”? The captain you have always fished with before, told you your license is included in the price, but you never actually saw the license. You also know that the laws of Mexico are similar to anywhere else, and a fishing license is required.

One of the most confusing things anglers encounter when getting to the Municipal Pier in the morning is how to obtain their fishing license. Sometimes they are not sure if it is included in the price of the charter, or if they are responsible to buy it. I have lived here 5 years now and I fish more than 150 days a year, yet until this year, I have been a bit confused also. This is where Pablo comes into the picture.

Pablo Gonzalez Gonzalez is our local version of Fisheries Management. He works for CONAPESCA. Pablo is the general manager of the Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo Tourist Zone and answers to the main regional office in Acapulco. Our 40 mile radius Tourist Zone is designated to keep large commercial interests out. Tuna purse seiners and large long line boats are not allowed to fish within this zone, and among the many duties Pablo has, the enforcement of the Tourist Zone is one of them.

Seven days a week, Pablo arrives at the Municipal Pier about 6:00 each morning. He will be somewhere in the vicinity of the stairwell the clients descend to get on the pangas, on the Playa Principal side of the pier. It is about in the middle of the pier, and Pablo can keep track of the boats as they approach the 4 different landings. In the past, he would greet the client as they got on the boat and would ask them if they had a license. If not, he would sell them a fishing license on the spot.

Unfortunately, the law will not allow him to do that now. The abuse from misappropriated funds throughout the Republic has required the current administration to make a few changes, and make things a little more confusing.

There are several types of fishing licenses issued in Mexico, and Pablo handles most of them. A boat being used for taking clients out sport fishing has to purchase a different license than either Dan Leo or Karl Peters buy for their respective private boats, Dancin’ and Aleta Negra. These two boats are used only for Dan and Karl’s personal pleasure. The licenses are for the boats only, and do not include an individual’s fishing license. In other words, Dan and Karl must also purchase an annual individual fishing license. And, the tourist going out on a charter must have one.

For the private boater, or a person who will be fishing different locations throughout the Republic, there are several options. As you will see, depending on how many days you will be fishing, the individual fishing license is generally cheaper to buy for a greater length of time than will be actually needed. The current rates are:
1 Day...................105 Pesos
1 Month..............314 Pesos
1 week.................219 Pesos
1 Year................ 409 Pesos

When you want to purchase a license in this manner, you must go to the CONAPESCA office (located at the José Martin School) and obtain the application “Solicitud de Permiso de Pesca Deportiva- Recreativa”. Then you must get payment form No. 5 from a stationary store and make your payment at the bank. Take the stamped form back to the office and Pablo will then issue the license. Or, just get with Pablo on the pier in the morning and tell him you want a license for a year. Besides the fees, give him a tip and he will take care of everything. You will have your license in your hands a couple of days later.

For the average tourist, Pablo has been trying to simplify things. Imagine the impossible situation for everybody to go to the office, fill out the application, go to the stationary store and buy the payment form, make the payment at the bank, and then back to the office for one day of fishing. Pablo made some major changes in January, 2003. What he is now doing is just watching the boats that have clients departing for a fishing charter. He writes the names of the boats down and records the accumulated charters for each boat all week. The boat captain must then go to Pablo’s office, get the forms and pay for the client’s license. The price of the license is included in the charter.

But, you do not get a license this way. As far as the local area and fishing, you are legal. However, there is no piece of paper telling you anything to that affect. That is one of the purposes of these articles. You need to hear it from somebody who has been there and done that. You do not need be a lawyer to punch a million holes in the concept, but Pablo makes it work. There will be no license inspections when you get back at the end of the day’s fishing, and there will be no check points for a license when you get on your plane with a cooler of fillets. By not having a license in your hand for a couple days of fishing, it is a heck of a lot better than the alternative of what you have to do to get one.

Like the guy who was enjoying his coffee and talking to the first time angler, if you have any doubts, just talk to Pablo somewhere in the middle of the pier.

Ed Kunze is a charter boat captain himself and writes this column from his own expertise and personal knowledge of the captains and their boats. He lives in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo year round and can be reached at 554-4876 or sportfishing@cdnet.com.mx. For more information on Captain Ed and his boats go to www.sportfishing-ixtapa.com or www.zihuatanejo.net/seaandsand

April 2003

Contents | Previous | Next