After years of uninterrupted effort, a fundamental step in the conservation of biodiversity has been taken by extending, via official decree, the area of protection to include marine ecosystems within the Isla Isabel National Park. This Natural Protected Area (NPA) now encompasses the marine zone around the island, with an extension of 31,695 hectares that guarantee the conservation of an impressive marine biodiversity.
Isla Isabel National Park, with its 10 islets, is an ecological treasure of invaluable importance, consecrated as an ANP since December 1980 due to its incalculable ecological value. Located in the Gulf of California, it has been recognized by UNESCO as a priority site, in addition to being included in the RAMSAR list in 2003, centered on the preservation of wetlands and marine spaces.
“Our work began in 2015, year in which we started the Preliminary Justification Study (PJS) of the marine part. We began with a 3 nautical mile space, but at the request of coastal fishermen and tourist service providers, it was extended to 6 nautical miles, since they include the submarine shallows that are important for their activities. Since then, we kept working on the project until 2024, when the political consensus was reached to make it a reality”, comments Mauricio Cortes, coordinator of Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima for Pronatura Noroeste.
This historic achievement will have many direct benefits, from ecological to social. Starting with the shallows (underwater mountains), coral reefs, rocky and rhodoliths (red calcareous algae mantles), which provide habitat for hundreds of marine species and contribute greatly to carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate the effects of global warming. More than 120 species of seabirds that nest on Isabel Island and depend entirely on the sea for nourishment and to feed their chicks, as well as the cetaceans that use this marine corridor during their migrations, also benefit. Another positive aspect is the huachinango, snapper, sierra and lobster fisheries, among others, which will be protected, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of coastal fishing, which benefits hundreds of local families.
Expanding the area of protection in the Isla Isabel National Park represents a milestone for the conservation of unique marine ecosystems. This step not only strengthens preservation measures, but also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and continued commitment to the protection of our priceless natural heritage. This achievement was possible thanks to the active participation of Commissioner Humberto Adan Peña Fuentes and Gloria Tavera Alonso of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), as well as the current director of Isla Isabel National Park, Jorge A. Castrejon Pineda.
In turn, it was supported by the fishing communities of San Blas and tourism service providers, the Autonomous University of Nayarit, the National School of Fishing Engineering, and the federal and state authorities.
Every contribution counts: from daily actions to economic support. Your help is vital to keep this marine ecosystem thriving and protected. Will you join us?
