Opportunities to improve sustainability of a Marine Protected Area: Small-scale fishing in Loreto, Baja California Sur, México

The coastal lagoon system Bahía Magdalena / Almejas (BM/A) at the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, México, is a large water body extremely important for ecological, economic and social reasons. Because of its natural environment BM/A was declared as one of the areas deserving marine conservation priority. The exact number of fishermen and their families living around the Bay is not known, and neither is the currently registered small boats in service, nor the fishing efforts, expenses and yields. Recently, several civil organizations started working in the BM/A with the mission to solve some of the identified environmental and social problems. However, because of the lack of reliable data, wide spread corruption, and undirected and uncoordinated research make it very difficult to suggest ways to improve the livelihood of the small-scale shrimp fishermen without endangering the environment. Some promising options are small-scale aquaculture projects, mainly for off-shore mollusks production, and to offer eco-tourist activities as well as eco-friendly sport fishing. Both bring local employment opportunities while maintaining a quality environment. En busca de sustentabilidad de la pesquería de camarón a baja escala en el sistema lagunar Magdalena-Almejas Baja California Sur, México: una revisión El sistema lagunar Bahía Magdalena / Almejas (BM/A) ubicado en la costa oeste de Baja California Sur, México, es un cuerpo de agua de extrema importancia bajo las perspectivas ecológica, económica y social. Dado su ambiente natural, BM/A es considerada un área prioritaria en términos de conservación marina. Se desconoce cuántas familias de pescadores viven entorno a la bahía, así como el número registrado de embarcaciones pequeñas en activo, el esfuerzo pesquero, sus gastos, o su rendimiento. Recientemente, varias organizaciones civiles comenzaron labores en BM/A bajo la consigna de resolver algunos de los problemas ambientales y sociales identificados. Sin embargo, debido a la falta de datos confiables y a la corrupción, aunados a investigación mal dirigida y sin coordinación, dificultan la posibilidad de sugerir maneras de mejorar la sustentabilidad de la pesca menor de camarón sin poner en riesgo el ambiente. Algunas alternativas prometedoras son los proyectos acuaculturales a pequeña escala, principalmente para producción de moluscos lejos de la costa, así como las actividades ecoturísticas y la pesca deportiva ecológicamente amigable, dado que ambas abren oportunidades de empleo locales conservando la calidad del ambiente.

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A Comparison of Small-Scale Fisheries Governability: Baja California Sur, Mexico and the Hawaiian Islands

MARE Publication Series - Interactive Governance for Small-Scale Fisheries ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-17034-3_11 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 199-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Elena M. Finkbeiner ◽

Adam L. Ayers ◽

John N. Kittinger ◽

Larry B. Crowder

Keyword(s):

Baja California ◽

Hawaiian Islands ◽

Small Scale ◽

Baja California Sur ◽

Small Scale Fisheries

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Potensi Pengembangan Budidaya Pada Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Datok Bandar Kabupaten Lingga

Dinamika Lingkungan Indonesia ◽

10.31258/dli.8.2.p.129-137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 129

Author(s):

Tengku Said Razai ◽

Fitria Ulfah ◽

Febrianti Lestari ◽

Dony Apdillah ◽

Ita Karlina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Protected Area ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Small Scale ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Business Units ◽

Aquaculture Water

The development of aquaculture in the Marine Protected Area (KKP) has to recognize the sustainability and the balancing of the ecosystem in that area. It causes limited rights of users who want to develop their business, where the issuance of permits and business management regulations is an obligation that must be followed by aquaculture business developers in the KKP area. The study aimed was to formulate the technical directions in developing the potential for aquaculture business in the Marine Protected Area of Datok Bandar (KKPD) at Lingga Regency. The method used in this research is a descriptive quantitative using analysis of the carrying capacity of the environment for aquaculture, water quality parameters, and a participatory approach. The results showed that the potential area to be developed for aquaculture was 3,736.01 ha. However, based on the carrying capacity analysis, only 268,420 ha or 7.2% from the existing potential can be utilized for aquaculture. Furthermore, based on the water quality measurements for aquaculture, the KKPD area was divided into 3 designations groups of aquaculture areas, namely the KJT, KJA, and seaweed. The number of aquaculture business units that were allowed in this area was 16,776 units consisting of 10,066 small business units and 6,710 medium business units with 7 types of superior fish. The limitation of land area and some business units in conservation areas were important to ensure the sustainability of the environment in the future. The implication of this research could be used as a basis for issuing aquaculture business permits, and to ensure that small-scale aquaculture fishermen have a large proportion. In addition to ensuring the existence of local communities who were generally small farmers, conservation areas were very vulnerable to environmental changes, so the risk factors and impacts of business utilization were important to consider.

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Seawater Acidification Affects Beta-Diversity of Benthic Communities at a Shallow Hydrothermal Vent in a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area (Underwater Archaeological Park of Baia, Naples, Italy)

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12120464 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 464

Author(s):

Luca Appolloni ◽

Daniela Zeppilli ◽

Luigia Donnarumma ◽

Elisa Baldrighi ◽

Elena Chianese ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Protected Area ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Hydrothermal Vents ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Small Scale ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Seawater Acidification ◽

Β Diversity ◽

The Impact

One of the most important pieces of climate change evidence is ocean acidification. Acidification effects on marine organisms are widely studied, while very little is known regarding its effects on assemblages’ β-diversity. In this framework, shallow hydrothermal vents within a Marine Protected Area (MPA) represent natural ecosystems acting as laboratory set-ups where the continuous carbon dioxide emissions affect assemblages with consequences that can be reasonably comparable to the effects of global water acidification. The aim of the present study is to test the impact of seawater acidification on the β-diversity of soft-bottom assemblages in a shallow vent field located in the Underwater Archeological Park of Baia MPA (Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean Sea). We investigated macro- and meiofauna communities of the ‘Secca delle fumose’ vent system in sites characterized by sulfurous (G) and carbon dioxide emissions (H) that are compared with control/inactive sites (CN and CS). Statistical analyses were performed on the most represented macrobenthic (Mollusca, Polychaeta, and Crustacea), and meiobenthic (Nematoda) taxa. Results show that the lowest synecological values are detected at H and, to a lesser extent, at G. Multivariate analyses show significant differences between hydrothermal vents (G, H) and control/inactive sites; the highest small-scale heterogeneities (measure of β-diversity) are detected at sites H and G and are mainly affected by pH, TOC (Total Organic Carbon), and cations concentrations. Such findings are probably related to acidification effects, since MPA excludes anthropic impacts. In particular, acidification markedly affects β-diversity and an increase in heterogeneity among sample replicates coupled to a decrease in number of taxa is an indicator of redundancy loss and, thus, of resilience capacity. The survival is assured to either tolerant species or those opportunistic taxa that can find good environmental conditions among gravels of sand.

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