Tourism

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Introduced Species

Nature tourism has had an increasing impact on the island ecosystems of the Gulf of California, which are extremely fragile environments. Biological evolution in isolation has made the Islands areas that are highly vulnerable to ecological impacts, such as the introduction of exotic species, habitat deterioration, hunting or fishing. In particular, the introduction of exotic species such as rats, cats or goats may cause true ecological catastrophes in the population numbers of plants, marine birds, or island reptiles.¹⁴ As much as 20% of the regions endemic island mammals may be extinct and 12% of island birds are extinct. Almost all of these extinctions were caused by competition and predation by alien species introduced by visitors to the islands. These introduced mammals have caused 28 to 30 recorded extinctions of endemic animals in the Sea's islands, have decimated seabird breeding colonies and plant communities, and have reduced populations of endemic plants and animals.¹⁵

Additionally, the growing demand of nature tourism has in turn generated increasing pressures to develop the islands. Although to date no development has been authorized in the Gulf Islands, the number of proposals and of associated environmental impact statements has been increasing steadily over the last decade.

Coastal Development

Coastal development is doing permanent damage to estuaries, mangroves, and other coastal areas. The deterioration of these coastal areas affects a large number of marine organisms that spend part of their life cycle in these ecosystems, from the gray whales in the Pacific lagoons, to shrimp, mollusks and fish in the Gulf of California. It also affects a large number of migratory birds that use these wetlands along their travel routes. Thus, the coastal lagoons provide unique ecological services that are crucial for the maintenance and survival of species that migrate later into other, often distant, ecosystems.¹⁶

Most of this development is for large tourist projects, urban residential growth, individual vacation homes, and shrimp aquaculture. Developers have tended to consider these environments as "wastelands" that should be used for more direct economic profit. The cutting of mangroves for aquaculture or for coastal resorts is a typical example of this problem. Urban and tourist development is spreading south from Tijuana on the Pacific Coast of Baja California and northward into the Gulf of California from Los Cabos. Along the Mexico-U.S. border, growing industrialization is generating uncontrolled urban sprawl that puts the long-term conservation of the chaparral scrub under grave danger. At the other extreme of the peninsula, in the Cape region, the rapid growth of tourism is also creating a similar phenomenon of explosive urban expansion. In both areas, the growing demand for drinking water is depleting the aquifer resources.

Escalera Náutica

Conceived in the 1970's by an international panel of investors, the Escalera Náutica (or 'Nautical Route') consisted of building up Baja California's transportation, port and airport infrastructure in order to promote mass scale tourism in the region. For example, the project outlines building 10 new ports, expanding 12 existing ports, expanding 20 existing airfields/airports, and creating 12 new golf courses, as well as expanding the region's network of roads and highways. Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of independent and detailed evaluations of the project or its potential effects on the peninsula.

In order to fill this void, Pro Peninsula carried out a study of the specifics of the project itself, and performed detailed research surrounding its potential social, ecological and economic impacts. The report concludes that not only does the EN project stand to disrupt the local social fabric, endanger the many natural protected areas of the peninsula, and facilitate drug trafficking accross the peninsula, the project itself stands to flatline due to the gross overestimation of demand for the new ports and infrastructure. Baja California's economic needs, and the interests of the local population, would be much better served through alternative or eco-tourism developments which not only utilize, but also help to protect and preserve the very asset which is the peninsula's primary allure: its incredible biodiversity and unspoiled, rugged natural beauty.

To read the complete Escalera Nautica Brief, click here.