Fisheries in Bahia de los Angeles, B. C.

Using eight years of continuous record keeping of fisheries catches in Bahia de los Angeles, Baja California, we calculated the basic criteria needed to promote the sustainability of the 12 fisheries that constitute 94.6% of the region’s historical catch data. These criteria include estimates of the maximum recommended catch potential by species (volume), minimum and maximum size, age at first spawning, and reproductive season, among others. Once applied as ruling guidelines for the management of fishery resources, these criteria will allow the recovery of fish populations that sustain the fishing activity in the region, guide the fisheries towards sustainability, and maintain the health of the marine ecosystem. Through our Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries Program, the “fishery management guidelines” scheme is being replicated in other regions of the Gulf of California.