1.3 The National Marine Park Bay of Loreto

Historically, people living in the Loreto region have depended on marine resources, thus with the economic and population growth happening in the region, there is great interest in minimizing any possible impacts on these resources. The National Marine Park Bay of Loreto (NMPBL) was established in July of 1996 and covers an area of 2,066 km2 (Fig. 3) (Carabias et al., 2000). The park’s main objectives are to manage renewable and nonrenewable resources and to restore critical habitats, while promoting socioeconomic development of the local communities in the region (Carabias et al., 2000).

Biodiversity in the NMPBL is high with over 1,000 species of plants and animals that represent 33% of the species present in the Gulf of California. Of those, 139 classified as endangered, threatened, rare or under special protection and are therefore protected by law (Carabias et al., 2000).

Commercial (artisanal) fishing has always been an important activity in the region; however sport fishing and ecotourism have gained importance over the past few decades. Loreto is now considered one of the top two places for kayaking in North America (Soares, 2002). Ecotourism activities, such as nature walks on the islands or kayaking, have not historically been subject to regulation and they have a direct impact on terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, including trampling of vegetation, deforestation of dunes, introduction of exotic species and the disturbance of colonial nesting seabirds and breeding pinnipeds and other animals (Tershy et al., 1999; Carabias et al., 2000). However, they have been increasing in the park over time, creating a need for a regulatory mechanism to minimize the impact that visitors have on the different ecosystems (López, 2003; Torres, 2006).

Fishing is a popular activity that attracts tourists and is the sole source of income for many local families. In the year 2000 there were 594 small boats operating inside the park, 383 dedicated to commercial fishing and 211 to sportfishing (Carabias et al., 2000; Soares, 2002). This fleet is expected to grow as the local populations and numbers of visitors increase, and as it increases fishing pressure will likely increase inside the park as well. Because there is generally more money invested in sportfishing than commercial fisheries, it is probable that the sportfishing fleet will grow faster than the commercial fleet. This constant investment will also result in a longer operating lifetime of boats dedicated to sportfishing.