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COUNTRY Mexico
NAME Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaíno
IUCN
MANAGEMENT CATEGORY Unassigned
Natural World Heritage Site - Criteria IV
National Biosphere Reserve - Category V
International Biosphere Reserve
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL
PROVINCE 1.08.07 (Sonoran)
GEOGRAPHICAL
LOCATION Comprises two lagoons which lie in the central part of the
Baja California peninsula, between the Gulf of California and the Pacific
Ocean. Forms part of the Municipality of Mulege, Bajo California Sur State.
Accessible via the north-south highway. Both lagoons are situated
on the west side of the peninsula, Laguna Ojo de Liebre is connected to
the Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino, and Laguna San Ignacio lies east of the town
of Punta Abrejos, into which Rio San Ignacio flows. Ojo de Liebre, 27°
23'-27° 59'N, 114° 30'-114° 55'W, San Ignacio 26° 25'-27°
13'N, 112° 48'-113° 17'W.
DATE AND
HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT Federal Decree of 6 December 1971, promulgated
on 14 January 1972, declared Laguna Ojo de Liebre a marine refuge zone for
whales. On 28 March 1980, the Decree was modified to include the lagoons
of Manuela and Guerrero Negro. On 11 September 1972, a Decree established
Laguna Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio as a refuge zone for migratory birds
and wildlife. On 16 July 1979, another Decree established Laguna San Ignacio
as a refuge for gravid whales and calves and as touristic-marine attraction
zone. Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Laguna San Ignacio were inscribed on the
World Heritage List in 1993.
El Vizcaino
Biosphere Reserve was approved by the government as a national biosphere
reserve in 1988 and was internationally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve
under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1993.
AREA
370,950ha: Laguna de Ojo de Liebre (227,994ha); and Laguna San Ignacio (142,956ha).
El Vizcaino
Biosphere Reserve totals 2,546,790 and encompasses Desierto de Vizcaino,
Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino and Laguna San Ignacio together with the numerous
coastal lakes.
LAND TENURE
Laguna Ojo
de Liebre: 40% national; 50% communal; and 10% private
Laguna San
Ignacio: 80% national; and 20% communal
ALTITUDE
Sea-level to about 10m
PHYSICAL
FEATURES Laguna Ojo de Liebre is the larger of the two lagoons, and
is 9km wide, 48km long and between five and 12m deep. Laguna San Ignacio
is 6km wide, 35km long and ranges in depth from two to four metres (SEDUE,
1989).
CLIMATE
Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio experience a very dry to semi-warm climate.
Mean annual temperature ranges between 18° C and 22° C, creating
a high evaporation rate of 98%. Annual rainfall can fluctuate between zero
and 200mm.
VEGETATION
Coastal dunes found around Laguna Ojo de Liebre form an unstable vegetation
community, but are dominated by the presence Abronia carterae (Q),
Lycium californicum (IK), Errazurizia megacarpa (IK) and Larrea
tridentata. Mangrove forest, which is at its northern limit in the North
Pacific, comprises Rhizophora mangle, Zostera marina and Salicornia
bigelowii (IK). Laguncularia racemosa is confined to areas around
Laguna San Ignacio and Spartina foliosa (IK) to Laguna Ojo de Liebre
(SEDESOL, 1993).
FAUNA Grey
whale Eschrichtius robustus (LR) and common seal Phoca
vitulina are the most notable marine mammals (Anon, 1990). Bottlednosed
dolphin Tursiops truncatus (DD) and California sea lion Zalophus
californianus can also be found within Laguna San Ignacio, (Swartz,
1981). Birds such as osprey Pandion haliaetus and peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus occur within the designated areas (SEDESOL, 1993).
Three marine
turtle species occur within the coastal area, namely: green turtle Chelonia
midas (EN), hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (CR), and
olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (EN) (SEDESOL, 1993).
CULTURAL
HERITAGE No information.
LOCAL HUMAN
POPULATION Approximately 38,000 people live within the buffer zone of
the biosphere reserve, and are mainly concentrated in the towns of Guerro
Negro, Santa Rosalia and San Ignacio and along the transpeninsula highway.
Inhabitants are dependent upon intensive agriculture, fishing, extensive
livestock grazing, mining and tourism (SEDESOL, 1993).
VISITORS
AND VISITOR FACILITIES During the 1990 tourist season, 3,000 people
visited Laguna San Ignacio to watch the whales.
SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH AND FACILITIES A joint USA/Mexican scientific team, supported
by IUCN/WWF, has undertaken whale censuses and tagging over five years in
Lagunas Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio (Swartz, 1981; Swartz, 1987). Other
national institutions working at the zone are Centro de Investigaciones
de Baja California Sur, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California,
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Universidad Autónoma
de Chihuahua, Centro de Ecología (Universidad Autónoma de
México), and Instituto de Biología (UNAM) (I.N.E., in litt,
September, 1995).
CONSERVATION
VALUE Baja California lagoons are an important wintering site for grey
whales and birds and a significant nesting area for three of the world's
seven marine turtle species.
CONSERVATION
MANAGEMENT The reserve is managed by the administrative body of the
newly created Secretariat of Environment, Natural Resources and Fish (SEMARNAP)
through the Institute of National Ecology. SEMARNAP formulated new long
and short term plans regarding the conservation of the area, but also continues
those that were prepared by the former Secretariat of Social Development
(SEDESOL). These include undertaking further scientific research and environmental
teaching. Prior to the area being designated a biosphere reserve, there
used to be a significant flow of tourists who had access to coastal areas
and whale watching. However, a law passed in 1988 has restricted such activities.
Around Laguna San Ignacio boats are organised to guide and transport tourists
to controlled areas. Tourist operators are obliged to solicite permits to
SEMARNAP. A WWF grant has enabled the purchase of a boat with an outboard
motor to patrol the lagoon and prevent disturbances to the whales. It has
also enabled the lagoon guards to work full time on whale protection. Several
government institutions cooperate with SEMARNAP in the regulation of tourism
in the area, including Secretaría de Gobernación, Secretaría
de Relaciones Exteriores, Secretaría de Marina, and Secretaría
de Turismo (I.N.E., in litt, September 1995).
There is a
management plan for El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve.
MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS The land adjacent to Laguna Ojo
de Liebre has long been under threat form development, and
oil drilling poses a serious potential problem to the region
(Swartz, 1981; Swartz, 1987; SEDUE, 1989). Although the whales
have demonstrated a remarkable recovery since their protection
from commercial whaling in 1938, they are still threatened
by industrial and economic development and an increase in
vessel traffic. The constant passing of cargo ships through
the lagoons has had a detrimental effect on marine flora and
fauna. Tourism has also had a significant impact on the whale
population as power boats disturb coastal waters (SEDESOL,
1993). Marine turtles have been heavily exploited in the past.
They were caught in the summer months using nets set in the
lagoons and estuaries along the coast, and sent to a turtle
cannery in Bahia de Asuncion, south of Laguna Ojo de Liebre
(Groombridge and Luxmore, 1989). Human activities have also
increased around Laguna San Ignacio. A petroleum company has
completed its second year of exploratory drilling for natural
gas and oil around the lagoon's shores; an aquaculture facility
produces commercial oysters; and five fishing co-operatives
operate in the area.
In 1996, concerns
were expressed over the plans to build an industrial salt production plant
at San Ignacio. An environmental impact assessment of the plant is proceeding,
reviewed by a scientific committee, and the development will not proceed
if it is deemed to pose a risk to the site's integrity (UNESCO, 1997).
STAFF
A total of 37 people are employed for administration, control and resource
management within the biosphere reserve (I.N.E. in litt., July 1995).
BUDGET
The budget for the biosphere reserve in 1994 was 703,000 (New Mexican pesos),
whilst the proposed budget for 1995 is 3,242,247 (New Mexican pesos) (I.N.E.,
in litt., September 1995).
LOCAL ADDRESSES
Direccion General
de Aprovechamiento Ecologico de los Recursos Naturales. Río Elba
20 piso 10, Col. Cuantémoc. C.P. 06500, Mexico, D.F Mexico (Tel:
(5) 286-92-76/553-94-62; Fax: (5) 553-90-73)
Instituto Nacional
De Ecología. Río Elba No. 20, piso 16, Col. Cuantémoc.
C.P. 06500, Mexico, D.F Mexico (Tel: (5) 553-95-38/48 and 553-96-47).
REFERENCES
Groombridge,
B. and Luxmore, R. (1989). The green turtle and hawksbill (Reptilia:
Cheloniidae): world status, exploitation and trade. IUCN Conservation
Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK.
SEDESOL (1993).
Reserva de la Biosfera El Vizcaino, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Secretaria
de Desarrolho Social Instituto Nacional de Ecologia. 105 pp.
SEDUE (1989).
Propuesta del Programa de Manejo de la Reserva de la Biosfera "El Vizcaino".
Secretaria de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecologia, La Paz, Mexico.
Swartz, S.L.
(1981). Grey Whales, Mexico. WWF Project 1804. WWF Yearbook 1980-1981. World
Wildlife Fund for Nature, Gland, Switzerland.
Swartz, S.L.
(1987). Mexico - Behavioural Ecology of Gray Whales. WWF List of
Approved Projects Volume 3. World Wildlife Fund International, Gland, Switzerland.
UNESCO (1997)Reports
on the state of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage
List. Report prepared for the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee
21st Session, Paris, 23-28th June.
DATE
December 1994, March 1996, August 1997.
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