The proposed Arrecifes del Golfo de México-Sur PN is located in the southern portion of the Gulf of Mexico basin

Protected area for fishing is proposed to safeguard marine resources

MEXICO
Thursday, September 19, 2024, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Dr. Gloria Fermina Tavera Alonso, director of Conservation for the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (Conanp), explained that the objective of declaring the nuclei located on Isla Triángulos and Cayo Arenas, off the coast of Campeche and northwest of Celestún, as protected areas is to preserve marine resources. According to official figures from the National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), there has been a decrease in the catch volumes of various comercial marine species, reported the Diario de Yucatán.

PROGRESO – In an interview with the Diario, Dr. Tavera Alonso clarified that Conanp does not prohibit fishing or sanction fishermen or vessels that enter protected natural areas.

The proposal seeks to share information on the declaration of a protected natural area in the reefs of southern Mexico to safeguard the sites of aggregation and reproduction of marine biodiversity, where species of high commercial value such as lobster, red snapper, octopus and grouper are found, which are the main fisheries that support many families in the southern Gulf of Mexico.

"Everyone, including fishermen, knows that populations have decreased, affected by various factors. For example, the volume of grouper catch has decreased, especially with regard to the size of the specimens. That is why it is crucial to protect the sites where these species reproduce and grow, allowing their use in better conditions," said Tavera Alonso.

The proposal, still without an implementation date, seeks to protect the territory and the species that inhabit it. In the areas designated as protected natural areas, fishing will be allowed, except in the nuclei, which are key areas for the reproduction, aggregation and growth of species. These areas will be defined with the collaboration of fishermen, who will help identify fishing sites and adjust measures for the common good.

The objective of declaring these areas as protected is to preserve the reefs, since their disappearance, aggravated by climate change and rising sea temperatures, would put at risk 60% of the fisheries, which depend on the species that inhabit the reefs.

The implementation of the declaration is not immediate, explained the director, but is a process of consensus with the fishermen. This process requires time and an exchange of information to avoid affecting the local economy, which is already facing a decline in marine populations and, consequently, in the income of fishermen. The goal is to protect both the resources and the well-being of those who depend on them.

At a recent fisheries meeting, it was discussed that in a 500,000 hectare area in the Bajos de la Zona Norte of the Alacranes Reef, 40 miles north of Perez Island, there is already a protected core where fishing is prohibited. In the Southern Zone, 200,000 hectares are protected, including areas where fishing is also not permitted.

Conanp, through Dr. Tavera, presented the proposal to declare a polygon of four million hectares, covering the coasts of Campeche and Yucatan, in which 200,000 hectare nuclei will be established where all fishing activity will be prohibited. These nuclei, considered "nurseries" for the reproduction of marine species, would be located on Isla Triángulos and Cayo Arenas, under the jurisdiction of Campeche.

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