SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN A MEXICAN BIOSPHERE RESERVE - SALT PRODUCTION IN VIZCAINO, BAJA-CALIFORNIA (MEXICO)

We analyzed biological information from an area in which salt producti on activities are occurring-Ojo de Liebre (also known as Scammon's Lag oon), a coastal lagoon located within Mexico's largest protected area, the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. Population trends of the primary anim al species inhabiting and visiting the area on a yearly basis, such as gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) and many species of marine birds, from before and after the onset of salt production activities, clearly indicated that salt production is compatible with both biodiversity c onservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. Although sim ilar compatibility has been observed for most salt works around the wo rld, this case study is particularly relevant because it is an example of how productive activities and nature conservation are compatible. Sustainable development is not achieved by suppressing the growth of h uman population, but by searching for production activities that are e fficient in terms of environmental protection and income revenue for l ocal people. In Mexico, salt production activities at Vizcaino Biosphe re Reserve exemplify how nature conservation and human activity can co exist in a Latin American protected natural area.