The Upper Gulf of California is a marine ecosystem rich in biodiversity, where artisanal fisheries are essential to the wellness of communities like San Felipe, Baja California, and the Gulf of Santa Clara, Sonora.
In this context, a project led by Pronatura Noroeste and funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) aims to promote self-regulation among permit holders and artisanal fishing organizations, as well as the co-management of curvina golfina and shrimp fisheries. This effort involves the participation of at least 12 fishing cooperatives (representing 35% of those operating in San Felipe), as well as training and awareness raising among staff from four governmental institutions responsible for fisheries regulation at local and regional levels. Additionally, other artisanal fishing cooperatives from the Gulf of Santa Clara, Sonora, have been engaged in the project.
This project seeks to strengthen the governance mechanisms and self-regulatory capacities of fishing organizations to promote sustainable and inclusive development in San Felipe, Baja California and the Gulf of Santa Clara, Sonora. I that sense, the project aims to promote collective actions that simultaneously contribute to the conservation and protection of endemic species, such as the vaquita marina and the totoaba, as well as to the development of the main ways of life of the fishing communities of the Upper Gulf of California.
The effort adopts a gender perspective to emphasize the gaps and inequalities between men and women in the access, use and control of fisheries resources. Some of the efforts are workshops designed to promote co-management and self-regulation practices, in addition to raising awareness in government personnel on the importance of fisheries governance.
With initiatives like this, San Felipe could position itself as a sustainable fishing model in Mexico, demonstrating that it is possible to balance economic development and
environmental conservation.
Join the effort that seeks the sustainability of fisheries in northwestern Mexico.
Translated by: Paulina Arce Hernández & Kimberly Alcaraz Valero
