The third annual Economic Tools for Nature Conservation in Mexico and the Mesoamerican Reef course was held June 6-15. This year, the course focused on economic valuation and conservation of coastal marine ecosystems, taking place at the El Mangle ecology center, located in La Paz, Baja California Sur in Mexico. Twenty specialists in the fields of management and conservation of natural resources attended from Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. These professionals came from civil society organizations (Centros de Estudios Marinos, Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos AC, Smarthfish Rescate de Valor AC, Costa Salvaje AC, The Nature Conservancy, NOS Noroeste Sustentable AC, Mesoamerican Reef Fund, United Nations Development Program – BIOFIN, Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá AC), research institutions and universities (Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas - UNAM), the private sector (Truchas de Zitacuaro S de PR de RL / Grupo Mas Agua para el Desarrollo Humano AC), as well as government agencies such as Instituto Nacional de Pesca – CRIP and Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas.

Nature management and conservation researchers, students, and professionals facilitated an exchange of knowledge and opinions, generated new understanding of the challenges and opportunities for conservation in the region, and sparked inspiring dialogue between course participants and professors.

The course material was divided into six units, taught by Latin-American professors with vast experience in the practical use of economic tools for conservation and natural resource management. These professors used exercises and economic games to introduce various topics including Microeconomics, Economic Valuation of Natural Resources, Economic Incentives for Conservation, Economics of Natural Resources, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Economic Analysis, and Conservation Policies.

Baja California Sur was the ideal setting for this particular iteration of the course, bringing to reality the dangers to which the coastal marine resources in Mexico and Central America are exposed. Course participants became very familiar with a nearby project involving Noroeste Sustenable NOS and more than 100 local fishermen. In the past five years, this project has coordinated collective efforts to promote the recovery of scallops in Ensenada de La Paz. Omar, one of the youngest members of the organization, is convinced that a change must be made to the current model of natural resource management: “It has been difficult, but we know that we are draining this resource, and we are responsible for rehabilitating it so that we may manage it sustainably.”

Despite the critical situation of the fisheries in this region, cases similar to that of El Manglito are increasingly appearing on the agendas of social organizations, government agencies, and research institutions. The collaboration and empowerment of the communities is fundamental for the genuine adoption of a sustainable management system. The use of economic tools will complement these management systems and many other projects, supporting more informed and equitable decision-making.

In 2013, CSF launched and alliance with Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM), Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN), Environmental Defense Fund Mexico (EDF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Fondo del Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano to build capacity in conservation economics. The initiative has revealed a great need for professionals trained in the use of economics, with the ability to influence decision-making that supports conservation of the ecosystems of Mexico and the Mesoamerican Reef System.

We appreciate the support of all who participated and contributed to our third edition of the course: Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM), Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN), Environmental Defense Fund Mexico (EDF), Fondo Noroeste (FONNOR), El Mangle, Programa de Liderazgo en el Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano, Noroeste Sustentable (NOS), MAR Fund, and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).