CONSERVATION EFFORTS
In response to the threats that Socorro Island faces, many organizations have dedicated themselves to improving the island. Below is a list of the primary conservation efforts, including their mission and contact information.
Socorro Island Conservation Fund
info@nautilusexplorer.com
01-604-657-7614
PO Box 97182
Richmond Main Post Office
Richmond B.C., Canada
V6H 8H3
The Socorro Island Conservation Fund was started by environmentalists and divers familiar with the beauty of the Revillagigedos Archipelago. Its primary goal is to assist the Mexican government with stopping illegal fishing and supporting terrestrial conservation. The Fund helps pay for random aircraft patrols of the waters surrounding the Revillagigedos to spot illegal fishing. It also funds scientific research to monitor the population of sharks and rays in the area. The Socorro Island Conservation Fund works in partnership with the Mexican government’s Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (Natural Commission of Protected Areas).
Project AWARE
information@projectaware.org
(949) 858-7657
30151 Tomas, Suite 200
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
USA
Project AWARE is focused on shark conservation efforts in response to their declining population from illegal fishing. The project is using scuba diving in conjunction with “baited remote underwater video surveys” to track the presence of various species. An online database was created for divers to post images to further track sightings of individuals. Then, a software is used to analyze these pictures to distinguish the individual sharks and estimate population size. The project hopes to analyze how illegal fishing has impacted the distribution of sharks around Socorro Island.
American Bird Conservancy
(540) 253-5780
P.O. Box 249
4249 Loudoun Ave.
The Plains, VA 20198-2237
USA
The American Bird Conservancy is involved with saving the Socorro Dove, Zenaida graysoni. This endemic species went extinct on the island of Socorro in 1972 due to introduced mammalian predation, but was reintroduced in 2013. ABC focuses on habitat restoration and disease studies to help with the reintroduction of the doves. The Socorro Dove is now critically endangered, but the ABC is dedicated to preserving what is considered the most important site for their reintroduction.
Sea Watch
seawatch@seawatch.org
011-52-612-55108
SeaWatch is dedicated to enforcing the no-fishing zone around the Revillagigedos. This area of ocean is considered a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, but lacks the political power and enforcement to ensure adequate protection. SeaWatch is using a Vessel Monitoring System to track boats by satellite. This surveillance system will help lessen the negative environmental impact of commercial fishing operations that often kill sharks and rays. SeaWatch also provides contacts for individuals to report illegal fishing activity.
PROFEPA - Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente
To report illegal fishing:
Luis Fueyo
Camino al Ajusco No. 200, 6 Piso,
Col. Jadines en la Montaña
(55) 2615-2093 or (55) 5449-6322
lfueyo@correo.profepa.gob.mx
PROFEPA is the official branch of the Mexican government dedicated to protecting the environment. PROFEPA helps enforce the protection of the Biosphere Reserve through use of the Navy, who patrols the water and verifies the legitimacy of boating operations. The agency also analyzes how the introduction of mammals has destroyed native vegetation, contributing to soil erosion. PROFEPA has played a key role in the reintroduction of the Socorro Dove.
UCSD Center for Marine Biodiversity & Conservation
cmbc@ucsd.edu
(858) 822-2790
Scripps Institution of Oceanography 0202
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92083-0202
USA
At UCSD’s Center for Marine Biodiversity & Conservation, a team of graduate students has collaborated with the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur to study the Revillagigedos. Their research focuses on the the diversity of marine life and the economic effects of the tourist industry in the protected Biosphere Reserve. It was concluded that increased tourism would be beneficial for conservation efforts. Students hope that the data collected will be helpful for external monitoring programs that aim to track the abundance of marine animals. The project continues to research the role of sport catch-and-release fishing and whether the economic benefits of tourism outweigh the possible negative effects on marine life.