Mexico

Mexico’s arid Baja Peninsular stretches south from the US border in California, dividing the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Since author John Steinbeck first documented his expedition here in 1940 with the ecologist Ed Ricketts, these two seas (‘Dos Mares’) have inspired marine biologists, who admire and study the rich biodiversity that surrounds Baja. 

Biologists are not the only people to have taken note. Industrial fishing for tuna, marlin, sardines and sharks has taken its toll, and today the seas have been stripped of much of the life that existed 80 years ago.  

Blue Marine is backing a large-scale project to protect more than 192,000 sq. km of Dos Mares, banning industrial fishing in the coastal waters and promoting sustainable artisanal fishing and tourism. Creating a marine protected area (MPA) of this size, around a region inhibited by more than a million people, with seas that are heavily fished, is no easy task.  

It is crucial that local stakeholders understand and support the initiative, and believe that effective, scientifically informed management will result in a more prosperous future. We are working with Orgcas, a local NGO, to lay strong foundations for the MPA, built on community support, trust, investment in sustainable fishing and education.  

As in most coastal countries, industrial fishing dominates this part of Mexico. Bigger boats, more gear, fuel subsidies, lobbying power, more fish and more money – it is a dangerous cycle that leads inevitably to the demise of marine ecosystems. This type of fishing employs few people, is indiscriminate and hugely wasteful, and the coastal communities of Baja see no benefit, just loss.  

In 2023, the small-scale fishers formed an association called DePesca. Through this they have a voice and are using it to put pressure on the authorities to protect the resources that they rely on for their existence. Fishers are transitioning from shark fishing to tourism, speaking out against illegal netting, and working with conservationists to identify key biodiversity areas that can be highly protected within the borders of the Dos Mares MPA.