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Fishermen in Mexico Shoot Down Environmental Group's Drone

by Associated Press

   MEXICO CITY --

   The environmental group Sea Shepherd said fishermen fired 25 shots at
   one of its night-vision drones in Mexico's Gulf of California, bringing
   it down.

   Various drones have been employed to patrol the Gulf, also known as the
   Sea of Cortez, to combat illegal fishing and save the critically
   endangered vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise.

   Poachers often go out at night to set nets for totoaba, a fish whose
   swim bladder is prized in China. But vaquitas often get caught in
   totoaba nets, causing the population to plunge to less than 30.

   Sea Shepherd has been the target of demonstrations by fishermen in the
   past, but said the Christmas Eve shooting represented "a new level of
   violence."

   The group said Tuesday that its drone had located four small boats
   illegally fishing for totoaba.

   Men on three of the boats were observed firing at the device until its
   camera shut off.

   The drone was then listed as "disconnected," indicating it went down.

   In the past, fishermen have thrown rocks and bricks at drones, staged
   demonstrations demanding that Sea Shepherd boats be expelled, burned
   vehicles and patrol boats, and beat inspectors from the office of
   environmental protection, but this is the first time they fired guns.

   In other parts of the world, Sea Shepherd vessels have rammed into
   whaling ships to deter illegal activities.

   But in the Gulf, the group has peacefully patrolled the waters, looking
   for vaquitas dead or alive and gill nets, which it removes.

   The patrol effort has been welcomed by the Mexican government, which
   has had a difficult time enforcing a ban on gill net fishing because
   fishermen use fast boats, leading vessels on hours-long chases.

   Sometimes, pickup trucks drop boat trailers onto beaches and haul off
   small fishing crafts before authorities arrive.