Artisanal fishery of elasmobranchs within two marine protected areas in the Upper Gulf of California

Abstract

Rays and sharks are among the most important marine species caught in the Upper Gulf of California (UGC) by local fishers of the three communities of the area viz., San Felipe in Baja California, El Golfo de Santa Clara and Puerto Peñasco in Sonora. Though the number of small-scale fishers have increased, elasmobranch catches have been maintained at ~550 t year–1. The Sustainable Fishery Index (SFI) identified two production periods, one of low-capture before 1999 with ~567 t year–1 and since then a recovery period with over 768.85 ± 260.83 t year–1. Results of a GIS survey indicated that 53% of the elasmobranch fishery in the UGC occurs within marine protected areas. Elasmobranchs captured in the marine protected areas generate a gross profit of ~US$ 343,000 annually, with a return rate of 87%. From the results of the present study, it is evident that there is a need for undertaking an interdisciplinary and intensive evaluation of the elasmobranch fishery in the marine protected areas considering the presence of endangered species in the region, in order to formulate an adequate management plan for conservation without major repercussions to the local fishers’ livelihood.