The First International Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas

such as the following: (1) responsible whale watching tourism, (2) stranding response,
and (3) assessment of cetacean population status.
Marine mammal protected areas in Mexico
Jorge Urbán-R. and Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho
Of the world’s 87 currently recognized cetacean species, 33 (ca. 40%) occur in Mexican
waters. <strong>The</strong> current tally of MMPAs is nine – 4 biosphere reserves, 3 national parks, and
2 refuge areas. <strong>The</strong> biosphere reserves focus on vaquitas (Alto Golfo y Delta del Rio
Colorado, 1993), gray whales (El Vizcaino, 1993 [1971]), and humpback whales
(Archipelago de Revillagigedo, 1994; Islas Tres Marias, 2000); the national parks on
pinnipeds and fin whales (Bahia de Loreto, 1996; Bahia de Los Angeles, 2006;
Archipelago de San Lorenzo, 2008); and the refuges on vaquitas (2005) and all large
whales within the Mexico EEZ (2002). Management plans are either in place or under
preparation for all of these, with the biosphere reserves most advanced in this regard.
<strong>The</strong> eastern North Pacific population of gray whales depends on lagoons along the west
coast of Baja California as over-wintering, breeding, and nursery habitat. <strong>The</strong> protection
of these lagoons as biosphere reserves and whale refuges is a significant achievement. It
has been a key factor in the recovery of this population from depletion by commercial
whaling. Humpback whales use three main wintering grounds in Mexico for breeding
and nursing their calves – one in coastal waters surrounding the southern part of the
Baja California peninsula, one around the offshore Revillagigedo archipelago, and one
along the mainland coast including the Tres Marias Islands. Those around the offshore
island groups benefit from the protection provided by biosphere reserves, but the whales
along the mainland coast, which are generally more exposed to vessel traffic from
tourism and recreation and to fishing activities, are given no special protection beyond
the prohibition against whaling. As seasonal migrants to Mexico, both gray whales and
humpback whales spend much of the year in international waters and in national waters
of the United States and Canada (as well as Central American states in the case of some
humpbacks). Thus, there is a compelling case for MPA networks that could provide
year-round protection to these populations.
Within Mexico, there is an administrative MPA network, but unfortunately this does not
ensure coordination of management activities or scientific research. Outside Mexico,
there has been good collaboration with Mexican research groups, but this has not yet
translated into coordination of management and research between or among MMPAs.
Good information on critical habitat is already available, therefore the immediate
priorities are to give that habitat effective protection within networks of MPAs.
ICMMPA <strong>Conference</strong> Proceedings
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