ECOLOGICAL ETIQUETTE
By
Roy S. Houston, Ph.D.
I
believe it appropriate to talk about environmental respect or as I call it,
“ecological etiquette”. I know, like most of us, we do not enjoy others telling
us what we can and cannot do. However, bear with me on this topic for there are
but a few simple suggestions that we can follow to help alleviate many of the
issues at hand. Fortunately much of the Baja California peninsula and the Sea
of Cortez is still a pristine and undisturbed environment. However, with an
increase in population and tourism there has been intense pressure placed on
the terrestrial and marine habitats throughout the area. Every day I hear from
my neighbors and friends on how the fishing is not what it used to be or how
easy it was to walk out into the desert and pick up a load of firewood. Comments like, “What has happened to all of
the corvina, all I catch are small bass!” are commonplace. I should mention
that this is not just in our backyard but throughout much of the world. This
summer while I was teaching my Coral Reef Ecology class in Honduras, people
were commenting on what has happened to all of the big groupers. In order to
protect the fragile environments in the northern Gulf of California, several
years ago the Mexican Federal Government has formally declared a protected area
within this region. This area formally known as “The Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere
Reserve” consists of a core (no take) zone and a buffer zone for limited
use. This reserve extends south from the Colorado River Delta to San Felipe,
across the Gulf to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora. These waters are a sanctuary for the
myriads of marine and desert life, including the endangered “totoaba” and
“vaquita”. The importance of respecting the ecology of this rich and invaluable
region cannot be overemphasized. Currently there is much interest by the
government and environmental groups to create additional protected area for
both marine and terrestrial habitats. Therefore, it will be most important to
adhere to the local laws and ordinances concerning fishing and hunting seasons
and limits.
Also, when driving in the desert it is better
to stay on roads or trails, so as not to disturb fragile plant and animal
communities. Since many tide pool and terrestrial critters live under rocks and
stones it is necessary to turn them over
to see what is underneath. By turning these rocks back over and replacing them
in more or less the same position from which they were moved will minimize our
footprint. Otherwise organisms living on the underside will dry out and die and
habitats for terrestrial animals will be destroyed. In the past, it was
commonplace to remove organisms from their habitats and let them dry out as
knick-knacks around the house. This has resulted in the depletion of many
beautiful species from their local habitats. One of the most disturbing sites that I have
seen recently are the huge piles of pink mouth murexes and other exotic shells
found in front of gift shops near Ensenada. More joy can be gained by observing
animals and plants in their natural surroundings, without removing them or
destroying their homes. Moreover, by respecting the environment in which we
live and keeping our backyards ship-shape, there is a good chance these environments
will be there for the enjoyment of others and for future generations.
As a footnote, we travel to Bonaire
every summer for scuba diving and to visit friends. Bonaire is a desert island and
is part of the Netherlands and is located in the southern Caribbean just 50
miles of the coast of Venezuela. Bonaire like our neck of the woods has an
extensive international retirement community and much tourism (around one
million per year). In addition they produce much of the world’s salt. The big
difference between them and us are their environmental policies. Bonaire is the
“poster child” for environmental awareness and protection”. For example, their
coral reefs are fully protected by law, seventy percent of their energy is from
solar and wind, and all of their
water (residential and industrial) is desalinated. Yet this island is able to
supports its local and tourist populations with minimal environmental
disturbance. I am hopeful our environmental future will be as bright!
