Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management of a Biological Corridor Along the Northern Sonora Coastline (NE Gulf of California)

Abstract

The coastline of Northern Sonora is dominated by hypersaline estuaries and vast rocky intertidal zones that are intermittently covered by the extreme tides characteristic of the Northern Gulf of California. Research on the spatial-temporal distribution of flora and fauna in wetland, sandy-muddy bottoms, the pelagic zone, subtidal rocky reefs and an off-shore island offer an in depth characterization of the region's habitats and allow the defini-tion of a unique biological Corridor for the coastal zone between Punta Borrascoso and Puerto Lobos, Sonora. Trophic studies and coupled oceanographic-biological models vali-dated by larval dispersal and population genetic studies on commercial species highlight the connectivity between marine and coastal habitats and support the Corridor as a distinct management unit, especially for fisheries. Patterns of human use along the coast (fisheries, tourism and coastal development) have been documented and currently stakeholders in six communities are engaged in fisheries monitoring and management. The wealth of informa-tion available on this Corridor supports an ecosystem-based approach for fisheries manage-ment. The traditional hurdles to successful implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management can be overcome for the coastal fisheries of the Peñasco Corridor by defining essential habitats for important target species, identifying trophic interactions, involving fishers and coastal communities in spatial planning and decision-making, and creating a positive incentive system.