Interview with Susan Anderson
There’s been an important breakthrough in Mexico’s private lands conservation movement: the purchase of Isla Espiritu Santo, a communally owned island in the biologically-rich Gulf of California. Susan Anderson, who oversees the Conservancy’s work in northwest Mexico, discusses the partnerships that made possible the protection of Isla Espiritu Santo, the first of several islands that the Conservancy and others are seeking to protect.
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Dolphin jumping out of water
© Mexican National Commission of Natural Protected Areas |
It sounds as if this purchase represents a high level of cooperation among many people and organizations. Who was involved in protecting the island?
Three years ago, several bungalows popped up on the island, and The Nature Conservancy and its partners decided something had to be done to ensure it was forever protected from development. As the result of this development, Isla Espiritu Santo was purchased by the Mexican Government with funding and technical assistance provided by The Nature Conservancy, Fundacion de Educacion Ambiental (FUNDEA), ISLA A.C. and WWF.
Why is it necessary to protect this island and others like it? What are the threats?
The Nature Conservancy targeted Isla Espiritu Santo as a top conservation area because of its unique biodiversity. The islands of the Sea of Cortez are among the most intact and pristine ecosystems in the world, truly one of the last great places on earth. If Isla Espiritu Santo is developed, for example, five species of reptiles and mammals that live only on the island may disappear. The main threats to the islands are tourism infrastructure developments, introduction of exotic species and overfishing in the waters surrounding the islands.
In the U.S., the Conservancy has been purchasing land to protect it for more than 50 years. But in Mexico it is a relatively new tool. What are some of the other conservation tools being used to protect Baja and the sea?
The most common protection tool in Baja California and the Sea of Cortez is the creation and management of federal protected areas, both terrestrial and marine. Other tools The Nature Conservancy and its partners work with include the establishment of no-take zones in the ocean, work with government on the development of land zoning plans, regulation of tourism activities and work with local communities on compatible economic development.
What role does the local community play in protecting the island?
The community landowners, Ejido Bonfil, were willing sellers and agreed that the government manage the island as part of the National Park System. The landowners never lived on the island nor did they carry out traditional economic activities on the island.
What role will the Conservancy play in the future of the Isla Espiritu Santo?
The Nature Conservancy will continue to provide technical and financial assistance to ensure a sound management of the island, like we have been doing since 1998. We currently fund a government effort to create a reserve design for a marine protected area surrounding the island. We also assist in the development and implementation of monitoring plans, tourism management programs, patrolling and community out-reach activities.
Will this acquisition protect the island from future commercial development, like the "nautical steps" plan?
Yes, no infrastructure development can take place on the island. Tourism activities such as kayaking, yachting, diving and hiking are regulated by the park tourism management plan.
With many types of land ownership in Mexico, what special types of challenges do conservation groups face in Baja and the sea of Cortez?
The purchase of Isla Espiritu Santo sets a nationwide precedent in that it was the first purchase in Mexico where private conservation groups negotiated and paid for an expropriation of communal lands for the sake of conserving it. Other typical problems related to the conservation of privately owned lands include unclear land tenure and land tenure conflicts, few economic incentives (eg. tax breaks) and a lack of knowledge of private lands conservation tools among the general public.
What can Nature Conservancy supporters—including Americans who vacation in or visit Mexico—do to help protect places like Isla Espiritu Santo?
The Nature Conservancy has launched an Island Conservation Fund pledging to raise $15 million and work with the Mexican government and FUNDEA to permanently protect 10 other islands in the Sea of Cortez that are still privately owned. The Nature Conservancy and our partner organization NIPARAJA has also established a Fund for the Protected Areas of Southern Baja California that can receive donations from Americans who visit La Paz. They can ask their local tour operator for more information.
