ALEXIS LOYOLA GONZÁLEZ FISHER OF THE MONTH

Alexis Loyola is a commercial fisherman located in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Fishing was a pastime at first, and it eventually became his livelihood and sustenance.

“First, I bought a boat and began fishing as a hobby; I saw I could make a living out of this and became a commercial fisherman. I studied nursing I graduated and saw I could make a living from fishing and never actually worked as a nurse,” he told us.

Alexis does not come from a fishing family As a boy, he fished from the shore and later, when he became a commercial fisherman, he fished by freediving using a harpoon. When he began fishing deep sea snapper, his friend and colleague Alexis López was the one who taught him and showed him the equipment used in this type of fishing and how to use it. He told us how a large part of his fishing learning has been through experience and correcting past mistakes.

After more than 10 years of becoming a commercial fisherman, Alexis is proud of being able to survive on this career. He has a special permit for catching queen snappers, and silk and queen snappers are his main catches. Alexis fishes in the western area in Puerto Rico. He goes out to sea for several days and returns with his catch By focusing on fishing for several days in a row, he can spend quality time with his family when he returns.

“I can make a living by doing something I enjoy every day I have a lot of time to spend with my family I go out fishing 10-12 days a month. The rest of the time, I’m with my family. I have two daughters. To me, fishing is a hobby that is also my job, it’s a relaxing time for me. I fish far from the shore, there’s no signal, no communications; this is a time to disconnect from problems,” he expressed.

We asked him if he’s noticed changes in the sea in the years he’s been active. He told us that “fish are further out; before, I could find fish at 180 fathoms, but now I go out to 230, 250 fathoms. ” This worries him, because it means that he has to go further out to sea each time to fish.

Alexis offers the following advice to newer fishing generations: “Respect the closures There are many new fishers who don’t respect the closures and catch younglings. If I catch a small animal, I move to a different area. They don’t know the harm they’re doing by taking this juvenile fish, this is a juvenile that could have grown. ”

Note: CFMC would like to thank Alexis Loyola González for the interview and the photo he provided.