Governance and Governance in Espiritu Santo NP Mexico. Effective Management of Los Islotes Core Zone, Protection of the Sea Lion Colony in its reproduction, birth and breeding in the long term.
Full Solution
Holy Spirit
Jose Antonio Soriano GECI
The change of paradigm in a Protected Area where the rules were not respected, the guides and captains were not trained to offer nature tours, the conversion of fishermen to tourist service providers, all using the sea lion colony of Los Islotes as the focal point of attraction for their tours, without respecting their reproduction, birth and breeding times, caused frequent accidents. The PA worked on a strategy to train and accredit guides and captains, who after doing so, respected the protection of the sea lion colony. The Port Captaincy and Tourism authorities joined in to issue controls to boats and promote sustainable tourism, the PA consolidated the swimming and diving restriction from June to August each year, researchers and NGOs trained the guides to develop new products to offer. This has resulted in a change in the services offered for the last 4 years, with an effective COVID Protocol by levels.
Last update: 21 Sep 2021
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Context
Challenges addressed
1. Unorganized visitation increasing in excess to swim with sea lions, with tourists bitten by sea lions, unprepared guides, without respect for the PA regulations.
2. Create a participatory strategy led by the Protected Area, to organize activities and train service providers, change the paradigm of ecosystem use and protect it.
3. Marine and tourism authorities, researchers and CSOs joined the PA to train guides and captains and accredit them in knowledge of nature and new ways of carrying out their activities.
4. Service Providers joined the Strategy by being trained as nature guides, in first aid and aquatic rescue and created new tourism routes to be carried out.
5. Due to COVID19 , a strategy was created for an orderly and staggered opening of the PA, which would allow its enjoyment.
Location
Isla Espiritu Santo, Isla Espiritu Santo, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23000, Mexico
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
North America
Process
Summary of the process
The project sought to change the traditional approach to tourism activities within a Protected Area, where the interests of tourism service providers could interact in the generation of employment and wealth, the interests of the conservation of the Protected Area in Los Islotes, respecting the breeding season, birth and breeding of the colony of sea lions and the training of guides and captains to promote a paradigm shift in their daily work.
This spirit of governance and governability is reflected in these three blocks, which are the pillars of the transformation of the community and that allowed in four years to change the way of carrying out activities in the Marine Park, with people committed to the future in the conservation of its natural resources and with a secure economic future.
The role of each actor and support group was established to build each line of action.
When we thought we had finished, the COVID Pandemic started and we had to add a new element that had not been contemplated, the COVID Protocol, which could guarantee the health of the spaces and the protection of the people.
Building Blocks
Strategic Plan for the PN Marine Zone of the Espiritu Santo Archipelago
Participatory strategy carried out with environmental, tourism, surveillance and tourism service providers, academics and researchers and civil organizations, which sets the actions and goals to be achieved for the conservation of the reproduction, births and breeding of the sea lion colony as the most precious conservation object of the protected area and the most important source of income for tourism service providers.
Enabling factors
Synergy between all stakeholders
commitment within its scope of application
paradigm shift
Protection of sources of employment
long-term conservation
Lesson learned
Service providers committed to training and new ways of carrying out tourism activities.
Flexible environmental authorities to commit to make changes in the norms and regulations that allow new governance schemes.
Tourism and surveillance authorities, proposing new norms and better sustainable practices.
All stakeholders at the table, seeking shared governance for the conservation and improvement of direct and indirect employment and PA conservation.
Construction of best practices and regulations for a better use of the PA.
Conservation of the sea lion colony through collective awareness.
Resources
Covid19 Protocol
Elaborate a Protocol to minimize the damages caused by COVID19 and to be able to open the Protected Area for the enjoyment of tourists and the economic exploitation by the Tourist Service Providers, based on a traffic light by levels and capacities of load and by permitted activities.
Enabling factors
Safeguard human life and the park's ecosystems.
establish carrying capacity levels for its use and occupation
dissemination of the Protocol's traffic light system
Lesson learned
New reality of social behavior
establishment of social parameters to be followed
mediating between the economic needs of service providers and health care
preserving jobs through new work paradigms
preservation of ecosystem health
Resources
Call for Guides and Captains
Call issued by the authorities to accredit guides and captains to work in Protected Areas.
Enabling factors
Guides and Captains who will obtain a certification.
Obtaining fundamental knowledge of the PA, as well as legislation and tourism standards.
Tourism service providers interested in learning.
Lesson learned
Change in the behavior of guides and captains by acquiring knowledge about the PA, its zoning, legislation, biological importance of the species and their behavior.
Appropriation of the PA as their own.
Resources
Impacts
1.Sea lions colony in excellent health, with a growth rate of 3.84% per year, with strong and healthy pups.
2. Protected reproduction, birth and breeding period from June 1st to August 31st of each year.
3. New zoning of the core zone of Los Islotes, to protect sea lions and tourists.
4. Carrying capacity studies and acceptable change limit, which allows 180 people at the same time, in groups of a maximum of 10 people.
5. There is a buoy system that controls the carrying capacity.
6. Regulations on the use of the buoy system and on the use of swimming, snorkeling and diving activities.
7. Since 2017, the Swimming, snorkeling and diving restriction strategy has been implemented in Los Islotes, and is carried out every year.
8. Training of Guides and Captains to obtain accreditation that allows them to work within the PA, with a program of nature guides, legislation and first aid.
9. COVID19 Visitor Protocol to safeguard visitors and Service Providers.
10. There are two generations of accredited guides.
11. More than 100,000 annual tourists in the PA.
12. There are 168 companies, with 650 boats authorized to provide tourist services.
13. There are 2,500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs.
14. The tourist promotion of the destination is based on the natural attractions of the Protected Areas.
Beneficiaries
1. Tourism Service Providers
2. Visitors and Tourists
3. Civil Organizations
4. Researchers and Academics
5. Sea lion colony
6. Environmental and Tourism Authorities,
7. Source of income for 10,000 people.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 3 – Good health and well-being
SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth
SDG 10 – Reduced inequalities
SDG 14 – Life below water
Story
Irma Gonzalez Lopez
Raol Preciado
He arrived at my office, a boat captain who has more than 15 years of taking tourists to swim with sea lions to Los Islotes, very excited, hugged me and told me: Biologist, today for the first time I have seen a sea lion pup born! I had never paid attention to the animals, I only took tourists to swim with them, but now I see what they do because tourists can not get into the water, and I teach them the behavior of the sea lions, how mothers feed their children, how they reproduce, how they play, and everything I know is thanks to the training they gave us, I am very happy, I'm going to take my family to see what I do! And while I was saying that, this big man kept hugging me, sharing his happiness with me.
I always dreamed of working for the conservation of my country's natural resources and making a significant change that could benefit as many people as possible. Leading this strategy with so many aspects, that has touched so many people and has generated changes in attitude, values, and sense of belonging, I feel very satisfied to be part of this community, where we have learned to do things in a new way, breaking old myths and creating a promising future for our community and our natural resources and safeguarding the most iconic species of the Gulf of California, the sea lions.
Connect with contributors
Other contributors
Irma Gonzalez Lopez
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
Elia Lopez Greene
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
Raol David Preciado Carrillo
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
Indra Sarahi Amador Mendoza
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
Noé Bojorquez Galeana
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
Luz Aurora Hurtado Bojorquez
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
Francisco Javier León Rojas
National Commission of Natural Protected Areas
