The world is aware of the rich biodiversity of northwestern Mexico. The beaches, seas and temperate waters in this privileged region of the planet are home to an immense variety of plants and animals. Marine mammals, in particular, represent a remarkable faunal treasure. It is estimated that the Gulf of California is home to one third of the planet’s cetaceans, and up to 39% of the marine mammals known to date.
From the majestic whales migrating from the Arctic to the sanctuaries in the Mexican North Pacific to breed their calves, to the pinniped colonies that animate the beaches and coastal and island ecosystems, all are amazing creatures, highly sensitive to risk factors such as temperature changes, habitat loss and pollution.
The importance of marine mammals in the North Pacific and Gulf of California was the topic of discussion for a group of experts from around the world who met last June in San Jose, Costa Rica. This Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA) workshop was held there to analyze a total of 101 natural areas of conservation, based on scientific evidence and detailed mapping of marine mammal habitats on our continent.
As a result of the workshop, held by the IMMA Secretariat of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) working on Marine Mammal Protected Areas, experts established 36 new IMMAs in the American continent, including specific areas in the Gulf of California and the North Pacific. These experts also identified five candidate IMMAs based on a broader analysis, as well as 11 additional areas that acquire Area of Concern status.
This confirms that Northwest Mexico is one of the most important regions for the conservation of marine mammals in the world. This is precisely where we work as Pronatura Noroeste to conserve, protect and recover these species, by supporting the protection of vulnerable habitats through more than 18 Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) in Northwest Mexico.
NPAs are considered areas whose original environments have not been significantly altered by human activity and require preservation and/or restoration. This is achieved through the delimitation of the area, research activity, the generation of evidence and, finally, the endorsement of the Mexican government. This work requires specialized supervision and can take years or even decades.
One example is the effort we undertook at the dawn of this century to achieve the NPA decree for the Bahia de los Angeles, Canal de Ballenas and Salsipuedes Biosphere Reserve. The official decree was issued in 2007 after an intense work of our experts and the collaboration of several organizations, official entities and the community. By considering the Bahia de los Angeles Biosphere Reserve as an NPA, 387 956 hectares were protected to shelter marine mammals such as the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) and the California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus), among 14 other species of marine mammals.
At the same time, the NPAs are intended to operate as a network, and not only within their territory. This is because many species inhabit and move in more than one NPA. Articulating a network of NPAs will strengthen management of these species if coordinated actions are designed to allow correct application of environmental legislation, promote effective governance systems with the participation of environmental authorities, communities that benefit economically from tourism activities with marine mammals, academia and civil society, as well as the governance system and cross-cutting work to protect marine mammals.
As it can be seen, the influence of the IMMA workshop in Costa Rica will have a long-term impact on the conservation of regional fauna. Further editions of this workshop will focus on the Southwest Atlantic in December of this year and the Northeast Atlantic in May 2023.
Join us in tackling the fascinating challenge of marine mammal conservation.
