Faced with the situation the world is facing, a pandemic that has not been able to be controlled and that continues to wreak havoc, it is time to reflect on our relationship with the environment, since this crisis has highlighted the toxic relationship that we have had with natural resources. We are in key and decisive years in which the damage that human beings have done to ecosystems can be reversed.
In this regard, emphasis is placed on the oceans and the fishing landscape, since according to ECLAC, more than 27% of the population lives in coastal areas. Most countries have more land than land, especially in the Caribbean, and oceans are home to extraordinary biodiversity1. In addition, around 660 and 880 million people worldwide are favored by fishing, according to figures from the FAO.
It is eminent that there is a crisis within the oceans because of ocean acidification; illegal fishing; little or no protection for marine protected areas; various forms of pollution affecting marine fauna, as well as the deterioration of coral reefs that support 25 percent of all marine life and provide food and income to more than 500 million people. 2
Mexico is a country that faces all the problems mentioned above. If we continue like this without changing things, the expected outlook for 2021 and the post-Covid future is not encouraging. Although there is already a commitment on the part of our country to generate an ocean area that is 100% sustainable, there is no clear and concrete vision of how this issue will be advanced in the coming years.
At the same time, Mexico is planning the Sowing Life in the Sea project, which will benefit 160,000 fishermen from coastal communities with a high degree of marginalization and vulnerability to climate change. However, there are no clear rules or actions, as well as what type of monitoring and follow-up will be given to the program and under what terms it will be carried out.
Another problem facing Mexico is illegal fishing. On the one hand, according to data from CONAPESCA 3, there is a reduction both in inspectors and in resources to combat illegal fishing. There is also the situation of the extinction of the marine vaquita; the looting of Totoaba and the defaunation of Protected Natural Areas. Therefore, it is necessary to have a traceability policy, to know who operates at sea and what products are being extracted, as well as to generate links and bridges that allow us to work hand in hand with fisheries and with fishermen.
In this regard and in the face of the bleak picture, it is clear that Mexico is facing quite strong challenges in terms of oceans. This is why it is necessary to have structured public policies, well-designed programs with clear operating rules, as well as solid diagnoses of the situation where problems are raised and causes and consequences are analyzed, as well as including affected actors.
Notes:
1 ECLAC presents the first regional overview of oceans, seas and marine resources in Latin America and the Caribbean. Available at: https://www.cepal.org/es/noticias/cepal-presenta-primer-panorama-regional-oceanos-mares-recursos-marinos-america-latina
2 Global campaign launched to promote ocean protection
3 Consult Fishing Data. Available at: https://pescandodatos.org/combate-a-la-pesca-ilegal
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