Research in Gulf of California

Two decades ago, the offshore islands and seamounts in the Gulf of California (GC) were abundant in sharks and pelagic species. The current degradation of these sites is noteworthy, considering the importance they had for recreational diving, sports-fishing and commercial fishing until the early 2000´s. Some of these islands were one of the best places in the world to see large schools of hammerhead sharks in the 1980´s, bringing strong international attention of award-winning cinematographers and scientists. However, sharks and marine predators are ecologically extinct from many parts of the GC due to overfishing, hence this once thriving system is heavily degraded. Overall, the main threats to sharks in the GC are 1) industrial fisheries both direct and as by-catch (e.g., long-liners, purse seiners, bottom trawlers), 2) illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and 3) habitat loss. In addition, a new threat has emerged such as the use of tankers that will start carrying fossil fuels across the GC from Sonora to B.C.S.

The establishment of the shark fishing ban in Mexican waters since 2012 has helped in a slow recovery of hammerheads and others species of sharks at some seamounts, but, it has not been enough to achieve a fuller recuperation of these pelagic ecosystems and new conservation and management tools should be put in place, such as i) the protection of several shark species under Mexican law and (ii) the creation of protective zones (marine protected areas, refuges) around critical habitat. Currently most shark species are considered commercial resources in Mexico and not wildlife -- hammerhead sharks are not protected in Mexico despite being listed as critically endangered globally, for example.

Also, lack of management of tourism activities could play a major role in the displacement of sharks and their habitats. The impact of tourism on marine fauna is well documented, particularly on coral reefs and on the behavior and possibly the metabolism of sharks. Therefore, it is critical to develop codes of conduct and management plans to minimize the effects of tourism on sharks’ behavior and health. On the other hand, there is solid documentation about the significant value and financial contributions that shark-based tourism activities can make to national economies, without considering the contributions in environmental education to nationals. Hence, it is important to start the reconversion of artisanal shark fishers to providers of shark-based tourism services. In addition to the establishment of new management tools in the GC, such as marine protected areas (MPAs), Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries (TURFs), and other community-based fisheries management systems, it is also important to explicitly address the design and implementation of community-based enterprises based on the conservation of sharks. Here we seek to i) provide scientific information to develop new management and conservation tools (e.g. MPA) to recover and restore reef fish, pelagic fish (e.g. tuna), sharks, mantas, whales and other marine megafauna in the GC, ii) ameliorate the impacts of climate change (e.g. less catch per unit effort of local reef fish) on the economy of local fishing communities by promoting and creating tourism opportunities for fishers, and iii) increase awareness of the importance of creating shark sanctuaries in the GC with articulated business opportunities for local communities.