One year after the installation of the Marine Monitor (M2) in the Cabo Pulmo National Park, we have identified patterns of irregular behaviors in the sea and implemented activities aimed at addressing them. As part of these activities, a pilot nocturnal surveillance program was designed and executed in the park. The program launched in June of this year.

The M2 is a system that permits tracking vessels that enter the National Park, registering their speed, trajectory, and route taken. From the analysis of this information “Pronatura Noroeste has identified patterns that could represent irregular activities and created a series of alerts to inform the authorities about possible illegalities. For example, if there is a boat sailing at night at a very low speed in a place where fish are known to congregate, it is likely that the boat is illegally fishing,” explained Ricardo Juárez Salas, Surveillance Coordinator for Pronatura Noroeste.

 In June of 2019, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the Citizen Observer Network (ROC), the Niparajá Natural History Society, and Pronatura Noroeste designed a nocturnal surveillance program with the aim of running trips in the field. “The principal result of these joint trips has been a significant decrease in the number of allegedly illegal activities identified by the Marine Monitor, both during the days the trips were taken and in the days after.”

“Great progress has also been made in raising awareness about the existence of the park, which is reflected in the fact that sport fishing vessels have been kept outside of the protected area during tournaments,” said Juárez Salas.

The great challenge now is having sufficient financial resources to maintain a recurring operation in the park, so the organizations involved are promoting the “Seeking Heroes” campaign. In this campaign, tourist service providers and others who benefit from the park are invited to contribute financial resources for surveillance.

“We are about to show the results to the public use and inspection and surveillance subcouncils, so they know the impact of these activities and motivate all of the beneficiaries to contribute resources to maintain the routes,” concluded Ricardo Juárez Salas.