Cedo Intercultural - Estero Morúa

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Estero Morúa

A Pilot Project for Sustainable Development

In Estero Morúa we are developing and evaluating conservation tools, with the goal of replicating these actions in other estuaries.

- Conservation of private and communally owned lands
- Development of alternative economic options
- Fundraising strategies
- Legal defense
- Environmental education
- Environmental education

Objectives:

- Develop a model for sustainable use of a coastal wetland in the Northern Gulf of California
- Evaluate a range of strategies for conservation
- Connect science with community participation for sound management of the estuary
- Identify and conserve habitats of high ecological importance

This project exemplifies the complex world of conservation, especially as it plays out in fragile ecosystems under tremendous pressure for economic growth. We have learned that to succeed we need to use all kinds of tools, from promoting alternative economic options for the community and opening dialogue with stakeholders, to using legal tools and the media.

As you explore our programs, here on the website, or by visiting us in Sonora, you will see that the lessons we have learned in Estero Morúa are being applied to other wetlands of the region.

TIDE BITS: Oyster Farms

In the 1970’s several families in Peñasco looked to growing oysters as an economic alternative. Today there are at seven oyster farms around Peñasco. These family operations manage rows of stacked trays, anchored in coastal mudflats, where oysters grow from larva to adults. Some families market oysters in town, while most sell them under palapas in the wetlands where they work. Oysterfarming requires frequent cleaning and sorting of the oysters as they develop in the trays. This form of aquaculture does not negatively impact the ecosystem, and could continue indefinitely without exhausting resources, making it a truly sustainable enterprise. Over the past decade oyster mortality during the growing process has grown exponentially from 10% to 90%, reducing oysterfarmer profits to virtually nothing. CEDO has worked with oysterfarmers to understand the increased mortality rate.