Mexico Sets Vital Precedent With Massive Baja Marine Reserve

The Mexican government has given protected status to the Revillagigedo Archipelago, creating an Illinois-sized national park in a region widely known as the Galapagos of North America.

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The marine reserve will be the largest in North America and is dedicated to the conservation of giant rays, whales and turtles, along with dozens of species endemic to the area. The protected site is located some 390 kilometers (242 miles) southeast of the Baja California peninsula.

The name "Galapagos of North America" is a reference to the volcanic Ecuadorean islands whose abundance of endemic species inspired biologist Charles Darwin. The island chain and the rich waters in which it lies were recognized last year as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The four volcanic islands making up the Revillagigedo Archipelago — Socorro, Clarion, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida — are located where two ocean currents collide, creating nutrient-rich waters that sustain hundreds of species of animals and plants, including rays, humpback whales, sea turtles, lizards and migratory birds. An estimated 366 species of fish and 225 species of invertebrates reside in the area's ecosystems, according to experts.

The 148,000 square kilometers (57,143 square miles) are a breeding ground for commercially fished species such as tuna and sierra, but all fishing activities will henceforth be prohibited, as will the construction of hotels on the islands. The move should help fish populations recover from years of commercial fishing operations that damaged the overall health of the region.

"This reserve will protect marine life around the islands and the large migratory species that visit as they traverse the Pacific Ocean; offer a safe haven from many of the pressures humans put on the ocean; and safeguard marine life from the ocean surface to the ocean floor," said Matt Rand, director of the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project.

According to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, the Environment Ministry and Navy "will carry out surveillance, equipment and training activities that will include remote monitoring in real time, environmental education directed at fishermen and sanctions against offenders."

"Revillagigedo, the crown jewel of Mexican waters, will now be fully protected," said Mario Gomez, executive director of Beta Diversidad. "We are proud of the protection we will provide to marine life in this area, and for the preservation of this important center of connectivity of species migrating throughout the Pacific."

María José Villanueva, the director of conservation of the World Wild Fund for Nature in Mexico, described the move as an “important precedent” to the rest of the world, according to local media.