Abstract
This article highlights implementations of marine policies in Baja California, Mexico. It explains how policies have affected wildlife and roles locals play in conservation issues. Species discussed include the vaquita, totoaba, gray whales, and green sea turtles. Other topics include traditional ecological knowledge in policy making and conservation education initiatives.
Introduction
Mexico is failing at aligning its marine policy efforts with those that are more structured in developed countries. Smart regulation is an approach used by other countries. This approach combines multiple use policy instruments with professional expertise focusing on environmental issues (Bobadilla et al., 2011). In Mexico there is typically no planning, evaluation or tweaking of management plans. Instead, there is a quick transition into trying a new tactic entirely (Bobadilla et al., 2011). Though not very effective, this concept is not completely unusual. Internationally, environmental regulations tend to follow a ‘learn as you go’ approach and represent strong variability (Bobadilla et al., 2011). In Mexico’s case of a constant tug-of-war battle between decrees, objectives and justifications have remained unchanged. This leaves room to question the legitimacy of these decrees. Some ponder if a lack of regulation and scrutinization has led to the failure of effective policy making. The ability to repair such damaged marine ecosystems and species remains an inquiry (Bobadilla et al., 2011).
Gray Whales
The worldwide conservation sector keeps watch on the Gulf of California, which is a highly productive and diverse marine environment. This ecosystem yields successful breeding and rearing across multiple species, and experiences the heaviest fishing traffic in Mexico (Bobadilla et al., 2011). The Gulf of California provides refuge for critically endangered species and offers space for locals to practice fishing traditions. Magdalena Bay is the largest natural deep-water bay in Southern Baja California. It is heavily trafficked for resource and tourism use, and often untouched due to remoteness from civilization. The bay is a historical place to spot migration of gray whales along the Baja Peninsula from January to April. It is sacred territory for housing the third highest numbers of this species in Baja California (Hastings & Fischer, 2001). Magdalena Bay holds strong environmental value, and is a hotspot for conservation by NGOs (non-governmental organization). The economic importance of Magdalena Bay coupled with political and socio-economic conditions make it difficult to stamp it as protected. This causes compartmentalized management of ecotourism, commercial fishing, and ecological rectitude.
Protection of gray whales in Mexico started in the 1970s. This allowed legislation to start regulating human activity around the species. In the late 1980s the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection became significant in Mexico’s environmental legislative history. It handed off gray whale conservation management responsibility to an agency called SEDUE (Guarantor’s Ministry of Urban Development and Ecology) (Dedina, 2000). Although this movement towards environmental legislation was paramount for Mexico, laws to protect gray whales are hard to implement. Presidential terms disrupt government policies, funds lack to enforce environmental laws, and uneasiness exists among government officials in executing regulations (Dedina, 2000).
Green Sea Turtles
History of turtle hunting and consumption in Baja California, Mexico dates back to pre-Columbian times. Over ten years of legal protection, it is estimated that up to 30,000 turtles are still harvested annually (Wallace, 2003). Fishermen have limited educational backgrounds and laws are not always communicated appropriately to them. They are not aware that green turtles have slow growth rates and delayed maturation, making their population harder to recover (Wallace, 2003). Law enforcement is limited by insufficient equipment, staff, and acts of corruption in the form of bribery to political leaders.
Steering efforts in a more positive direction could include offering income sources to locals based around environmentally appropriate eco-tourism initiatives. Supplementing professionals who act as mediators between policy makers and locals could create solutions that benefit most parties involved. Earlier education on the biology, research, and species status is needed as most locals are unaware of this (Wallace, 2003). Involving community members in research could provide them an extra source of income. Increasing highway checks in areas where turtle contraband is commonly transported could pivot effects of the trading industry (Wallace, 2003).
With the implementation of new practices, some success in green sea turtle conservation has been documented. The media is more involved in sea turtle conservation and Mexico is gaining international support in conservation efforts. Fishermen are reporting increased sightings of flipper tags on turtles, and citizen-based sea turtle conservation programs are continually developing (Wallace, 2003). These results are eye-opening for conservation planning and regulation by legislation. This shows how useful a multi-disciplinary approach is for resource management (Wallace, 2003) as compared to a rotation of one instrument approaches (Bobadilla et al., 2011).
Vaquita Porpoise
The vaquita porpoise is an endemic species of Mexico found in the Upper Gulf of California (Bobadilla et al., 2011). In 2018 there were an estimated 30 vaquita porpoises (Manjarrez-Bringas et al., 2018). The difficulty in saving this species is that most of their population resides near El Golfo de Santa Clara. This is where locals depend on fishing as their way of life. After failed attempts to recover vaquita porpoises, new conservation alternatives were tried. The use of environmentally friendly fishing gear was encouraged. Fishermen were paid $40,000 in exchange for their fishing permits. Locals were encouraged to pursue more sustainable ways to provide income. The failure of these initiatives were a result of neglecting the social and economic ties of fishing in the community (Manjarrez-Bringas et al., 2018). Fishermen still fish unsustainably with harmful equipment. Compensation for trading in fishing permits had a low success rate. Those who did participate in the program are not finding success in their new chosen jobs. Negative incidents between fisherman and conservation organizations also make it difficult to form positive working relationships.
Though the fishing community plays a role in the status of the vaquita porpoise, so does the damming of the Colorado River. The damming has caused poor health of the estuary where the limited number of vaquita reside. Their habitat currently reflects a marine environment versus an estuary (Manjarrez-Bringas et al., 2018). Habitat restoration for wild populations is imperative. The capture and placement of the species in captivity has yet to be successful. Lastly, the Mexican government needs to reapproach the U.S. government about the issue of the damming of the Colorado River. Suggestions to reconvene on enabling the appropriate amount of freshwater flow into the Upper Gulf of California is dire (Manjarrez-Bringas et al., 2018).
Totoaba
Overfishing of totoaba is another hard-to-defeat conservation management issue. The species went from being abundant in the early 1900s to population numbers crashing near the 1950s. After this crash, legislation banned shark fishing to reduce totoaba bycatch. Nearing the 1970s they decided to permanently close the Gulf of California to commercial fishing of totoaba (Bobadilla et al., 2011). Illegal fishing still occurs with laws in place, showing a lack of regulation. This is seen through a direct quote by a fisherman saying, “we fish it despite this measure”. This means they are aware of the illegality of fishing totoaba, but do it anyway (Bobadilla et al., 2011, p.1001). The laws created were not made to interfere with shrimp fishing which causes an immense amount of juvenile totoaba bycatch. It is suggested that the number of deaths of juvenile totoaba caused by shrimping bycatch was known for decades by fisheries. These deaths were never reported, aiding in the species’ decline over time (Bobadilla et al., 2011).
Like other items on the black market, totoaba swim bladders are used in Chinese medicines. The illegal fishing of totoaba will endure as long as their swim bladders are in high demand. Risking this illegal behavior is worth it to fishermen for the high prices the cartel pays for their help (Alvarado Martinez & Martinez, 2018). The cartel being involved in this business makes it hard for Mexican law enforcement to gain control. It is suggested that some government officials are paid off or threatened by the cartel if they try to intervene. Judicial and investigative resources are lacking, decreasing the ability for officials to fully uphold the laws (Alvarado Martinez & Martinez, 2018). The gillnets used to catch totoaba also result in the by-catch of vaquita, continuing to kill two birds with one stone.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Most researchers do not seek out knowledge or opinions of locals who are most familiar with the hotspots being studied. If their expertise is sought out it is rarely cited in scientific papers, neglecting giving credit where it is due (Baker et al., 2019). Meghann McDonald, Executive Director of Vermilion Sea Institute, believes strong community alliances are key for success. She noted:
When you invite everyone into the community and assign important roles, the pressure to act better is higher. Hard conversations become easier to have. Outside, global pressure telling locals what to do is not an effective way to mitigate issues and understand one another. We need to go into other communities asking them what they can teach us. We should not be entering foreign territory assuming that we will teach them (M. McDonald, Personal Communication, July 26, 2021).
Meghann McDonald helped to spearhead the Aventureros program, hosted at the Vermilion Sea Institute. The program educates and involves local children in marine conservation research and stewardship. Without the creation of Aventureros, those involved would have much less exposure to the natural world around them.
Conclusion
Mexican legislation should focus on reevaluating failed conservation management techniques by considering assessments and restructuring resource management policies. Concerns around socio-economics and the livelihood of locals need to be taken into consideration when putting restrictions on fisheries. These regulations are usually rejected and ignored causing strife between locals and government agencies. They are also proving ineffective when it comes to protecting and nourishing endangered species (Manjarraz-Bringas et al., 2018). Environmental organizations should include locals and their traditional ecological knowledge in research and conservation programs. The trial and error tactics of management and interference in fishing communities cannot be the path legislation continues to follow. If so, it could mean detrimental disruption to marine organisms and their habitats. It is important that Mexican environmental policy makers be charged with the job of focusing more on legitimite policies. They must justify, as a matter of fact, there is reason and research to defend projected success of newly proposed regulations.
About The Author
Alissa Eurell is a master’s student studying conservation biology with Miami University’s Project Dragonfly. Her studies focus on marine conservation management and policy making. She is currently a Carnivore Keeper II at the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee.
Literature Cited
- Alvarado Martinez, I., & Martinez, E.R. (2018). Trafficking of Totoaba Maw. I.
Arroyo-Quiroz & T. Wyatt (Eds.), Green Crime in Mexico (pp. 149-170). Palgrave Macmillan. - Baker, K., Eichhorn, M. P. & Griffiths, M. (2019). Decolonizing Field Ecology. Biotropica, 51(3), 288-292.
- Bobadilla, M., Alvarez-Borrego, S., Avila-Foucat, S., Lara-Valencia, F., & Espejel, I. (2011). Evolution of environmental policy instruments implemented for the protection of totoaba and the vaquita porpoise in the Upper Gulf of California. Environmental Science and Policy, 14, 998-1007.
- Dedina, S. (2000). Saving the Gray Whale: People, Politics, and Conservation in Baja California (Society, Environment, and Place) (Illustrated ed.) [E-book]. University of Arizona Press.
- Hastings, M.R., & Fischer, D.W. (2001). Management priorities for Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 7, 193-202.
- Manjarrez-Bringas, N., Aragon-Noriega, E.A., Beltran-Morales, L.F., Cordoba-Matson, M.V., & Ortega-Rubio, A. (2018). Lessons for Sustainable Development: Marine Mammal Conservation Policies and Its Social and Economic Effects. Sustainability, 10 (7).
- Wallace, N. (2003). Biology and conservation of sea turtles in Baja California, Mexico. The University of Arizona.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media