TIDE BITS: Fisherman Testimonial

My name is Cuco Salazar, I’m a commercial diver on Peñasco’s rocky reefs. When I heard that CEDO had won the 2007 National Conservation Award it reminded me of when I was interviewed on the radio about the protests in Peñasco in response to the enforcement of fisheries regulation in the Biosphere Reserve. While I shared my story, many people called in to say “the sea belongs to those who work it” – I said, you know, it’s different – farmers sow their seeds and care for their crops, we don’t sow the sea and we keep taking from it, fishing all year long. These issues are complex, but that’s what makes this recognition of CEDO all the more important.