On May 15th, the municipal government of Ensenada announced the winners of the Distinguished Citizen Award 2022, among them oceanologist Christian Morales Portillo, a collaborator of Pronatura Noroeste (PNO). This is the most important distinction given by Ensenada´s government to outstanding individuals in different categories. Christian Morales Portillo was recognized in the Ecology category, for his contribution to the management of natural resources and the improvement of fishing techniques.
The selection of Distinguished Citizens arose from a call for proposals from civil organizations. The result was announced in a solemn town council session during the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the founding of Ensenada as an urban settlement. Mayor Armando Ayala Robles delivered the Antonio Melendres Medal to the winners. This award honors the memory of the legendary hero of the town of La Grulla, who in 1854 expelled the filibuster William Walker from Baja´s territory, thus preventing him from continuing with his intention of annexing the peninsula to the United States.
Christian Morales Portillo is an oceanologist from the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), with a Master of Science in Marine Ecology from the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education (CICESE) in Ensenada. He also holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Strategic Management from the University of Texas and the Instituto de Estudios Superior de Occidente (ITESO) in Guadalajara. He participated in a student mobility program in the Faculty of Marine Sciences at the Universidad Católica del Norte in Coquimbo, Chile, and completed an academic residency at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
He joined Pronatura Noroeste in 2008 as a fishery technician, with activities related to the experimental design of fishing gear for foreigner cabrilla and octopus, the sampling of fishery composition and catch, the collection of biological material, and the collection and updating of fishermen’s censuses. Since 2002, he has served as Coordinator of Marine Conservation Projects in Baja California. He also chairs the Gulf of California Islands Advisory Council. As part of his scientific and conservation work, Christian works with the fishing communities of Bahía de Los Ángeles and El Barril in the Gulf of California.
At Pronatura Noroeste, we congratulate Christian Morales Portillo, a passion for conservation and natural resources, for this recognition. We hope that his important work for the ecosystems and wildlife of our region will continue to bear fruit for many years to come.
