The Gulf of California: Biodiversity and Conservation

11. Ecological Conservation in the Gulf of California

CHAPTER 11 Ecological Conservation in the Gulf of California marí a de los ángeles carvajal, alejandro robles, and exequiel ezcurra Summary With an immense biological richness and high marine productivity , the Gulf of California (Mar de Cortés, Sea of Cortez) is both a large marine ecosystem of high global conservation priority and a region that faces growing threats—mostly as a result of overfishing and significant degradation of coastal habitats—with 39 marine species listed in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Gulf coastline is a sparsely populated and comparatively affluent region of Mexico. In recent decades, new economic opportunities and depletion of natural resources have led the economy away from its traditional reliance on agriculture and fisheries, shifting it toward tourism and manufacturing. Rapid economic growth has brought accelerated immigration with growing pressures on the environment. The implications of these socioeconomic changes for biodiversity conservation are significant. In addressing the growing challenges in the region, the conservation movement has relied on three fundamental approaches: (1) research data from the scientific community, (2) ecosystem conservation through the establishment of protected areas, and (3) building capacity for conservation at local and regional levels. Conservation efforts began in the 1950s and early 1960s, when the Upper Gulf and Isla Rasa were officially declared protected sanctuaries for the reproduction of fisheries and seabirds, respectively. Rapid progress was achieved in the 1990s when conservation organizations began working closely with academic and governmental institutions to better manage protected areas in the region. As a result of these efforts there are now ten terrestrial and thirteen terrestrial and marine protected areas in the Gulf that cover, in total, more than 9 million hectares. The National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (CONANP; see 220 / carvajal, robles, and ezcurra table 11.1 for a summary list of acronyms) was created during that time. Also, professional staff was hired and assigned to protected areas, advisory groups were established, management plans were developed, legislation was updated, and the budgets for managing protected areas rose significantly. Yet in spite of increased legal protection, problems have continued to grow in many areas. This highlights the importance of finding alternative modes TABLE 11.1. Acronyms used in this chapter. ALCOSTA Alianza para la Sustentabilidad del Noroeste Costero Mexicano, an alliance of several environmental organizations promoting coastal conservation CES Centro Ecológico de Sonora, a research center in Sonora CIDESON Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo de los Recursos Naturales de Sonora, a research center in Sonora CIRVA International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita CONANP Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Mexico’s National Commission for Protected Natural Areas FONATUR Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo, Mexico’s National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism GEF Global Environmental Facility, an international funding organization created as a result of the Rio Summit (UNCED) INE Instituto Nacional de Ecología, Mexico’s National Institute of Ecology IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature MAB UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NGO Nongovernmental organization NOS Noroeste Sustentable (Sustainable Northwest), a Mexican conservation initiative PROFEPA Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente, Mexico’s Environmental Attorney General SAGARPA Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentaci ón, Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture SDNHM San Diego Natural History Museum SEDUE Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecología, Mexico’s first Environmental Ministry (1983–1992) SEMARNAP Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca; Mexico’s Ministry of the Environment (1994 –2000) UNAM Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico’s National University UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (also known as the Rio Summit) UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization Ecological Conservation / 221 of conservation, especially by learning from the many grassroots and regional success stories of conservation objectives achieved by means that are different from, but complementary to, those of federal reserves. For conservation initiatives to succeed in the Gulf of California, they must be able to win the hearts and minds of local people, lead toward generation of alternative livelihoods, and increase local community capacity for stewardship of resources. Introduction The Gulf of California is a large, semi-enclosed sea covering approximately 260,000 square kilometers. It contains some outstanding natural features such as deep ocean basins with...