Industrial fishing for tuna, marlin, sardines and sharks has stripped out much of the life that existed 80 years ago. To create an MPA of this size – around a region inhibited by more than a million people, with seas that are heavily fished – it is crucial that local stakeholders understand and support the initiative, and believe it will result in a more prosperous future.
Blue Marine’s local NGO partners, Orgcas, have collected a huge amount of scientific data to inform the justification of the MPA. Fishers and tourism operators in Baja have sent more than 300 official letters of support to the Ministry, and a new small-scale fisheries commission, DEPESCA, lobbies the government relentlessly. Baja’s artisanal shark-fishing communities have mostly transitioned to tourism.
450 tissue samples from 8 shark species
Potential nursery area for silky sharks with +100 babies recorded two following years
+50 trainings with local communities
32 shark and ray species identified
Blue Marine’s local NGO partners, Orgcas, have collected a huge amount of scientific data to inform the justification of the MPA. Fishers and tourism operators in Baja have sent more than 300 official letters of support to the Ministry, and a new small-scale fisheries commission, DEPESCA, lobbies the government relentlessly. Baja’s artisanal shark-fishing communities have mostly transitioned to tourism.
A new government took office in October 2024, and the project was presented to decision-makers with the political narrative as ‘improving the prosperity of coastal communities’. There is political backing for the designation of MPAs if there is support from most local stakeholders. Socialisation results show 60-70 per cent support from fishing communities, and almost complete support from tourism operators.
To drive the project, we will continue advocacy work with senior politicians and the state government; garner stakeholder support for designation of a large, highly protected MPA around Baja; establish an advisory committee with leading scientists and institutions in the region; establish a baseline study before designation and increase pressure on the government to protect 30 per cent of Mexico’s seas, in line with global sustainability goals.
Rich in sea life, poor in conservation – Greece aims to transform that narrative with a recent commitment to protecting 32 per cent of its waters by 2030. Blue Marine supports ocean protection here across ten different projects .
We are working with local partners to deliver lasting protection for whales, dolphins and African penguins across the 9,500 sq km of NIMPA – the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area.
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