Abstract:The objective of this research is to assess the main social and economic effects on local fishermen in El Golfo de Santa Clara, as a result of the severe fishing restrictions enforced to protect the marine mammal "vaquita" (Phocoena sinus). Sustainable development includes natural resources conservation and the improvement of the social and economic conditions of local inhabitants. In Mexico, the vaquita is in imminent danger of extinction. It is a marine cetacean endemic to the Upper Gulf of California. Conservation measures to save this species, such as gear-switching and transformation subsidies from fishing activities to tourist services, have caused severe social and economic impacts on the local fishermen of this region. Presently, it is estimated that there are only 30 vaquita individuals left in the wild, and none are in captivity. In this study, we conduct surveys of the human local population involved in the incidental bycatch fishing of the vaquita, and also use secondary sources to come up with recommendations, based on taking into account stakeholder needs. For this fishing community the economic and social problems have worsened because currently there are limited economic activity options in the area for the human population, and the vaquita population continues to decline. Recommendations are offered to contribute to the ecological sustainability of this species, and for economic and social sustainability of local fishermen.

Fish eco-labeling is a market-based incentive program for sustainable fisheries. This paper examines consumers' acceptance of eco-labeled fish by using data from a pilot study conducted in a coastal area of northwestern Mexico. An ordered probit model was applied, using 364 observations. The results show that most respondents favor the idea of eco-labeled fish as a sustainable option and know that this is a costlier option. Income level, consumers' occupation and frequency of fish consumption are factors taken into account in the buying decision. Price was not a statistically significant factor affecting purchase decision. The study suggests that employed consumers with knowledge of labels may prioritize their demand for eco-labeled fish. Thus, providing a clear definition of sustainability that increases consumer awareness might be a promising strategy in developing the market for eco-labeled fish. The results and their implications could be employed as an element for future development of consumer policies related to fish sustainability.

One of the primary concerns of countries with high levels of biodiversity is the conservation of species and natural environments. This prioritization is based in part on a recognition of the importance of ecosystem services, understood as the various benefits that humans derive from ecosystems, which may be developed into goods and services that are transacted in markets. The Nagoya Protocol is an international agreement whose purpose is to provide a framework under which countries can support biodiversity conservation by regulating access to native genetic materials. Such materials may be of interest to companies, organizations, and institutions for commercial, non-commercial, or both purposes. Furthermore, genetic resources constitute important inputs in numerous industries, including those in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, botany and horticultural, agricultural, personal hygiene and cosmetics, and food and beverage sectors. The present study explores whether there is a relationship between biodiversity, the implementation of systems to protect natural areas and the quality of institutions, and the utilization of the Nagoya Protocol framework in individual countries. A Probit model was estimated to test these relationships, and a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was conducted to identify whether the aforementioned factors explain the execution of access and benefit sharing (ABS) agreements, as measured through the lodging of Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCC) in the Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House (ABSCH) of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The findings indicated that biodiversity conservation policies, specifically the designation of protected natural areas, are important factors that might motivate actors in Nagoya Protocol member countries to utilize the protocol system. The CCA also revealed that the quality of institution factors such as the protection of property rights, the efficiency of legal frameworks for dispute resolution, investor protection, and a low government regulation burden. also help to explain the utilization of ABS agreements.

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Los Cabos is the main tourism destination in Baja California Sur with almost 1.19million visitors in 2009. Its early development is linked to sport fishing practice since 1960, mainly for two reasons. The first one refers to the high likelihood of catching. The second is related to the abundance of sport fishing species (blue, striped and black marlin; sailfish, dolphin fish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, roosterfish and jack mackerel), which are present and are highly abundant throughout the year. The study aims to estimate the economic benefits of sport fishing in Los Cabos by applying an economic valuation technique known as travel costs. The study has two basic assumptions; first, travel cost method allows estimating more conservative benefits than the preceded studies for this activity. The second assumption is that the relative abundance of sport fishing species is relevant within the demand model for sport fishing trips. The purpose of valuation is to estimate the willingness to pay for access (WTP) the site and subsequently the economic benefit. Count models, like Poisson, are generally used in travel cost method to estimate the WTP to access the site. The models incorporate arguments like cost of the fishing trip, income, other socioeconomic variables and the catch per unit effort (CPUE). CPUE is considered an appropriate index to measure the relative abundance of sport fishing species. Several Poisson models were estimated to calculate the individual WTP, with values from 22.27 to 70.55 dollars. The economic benefits of sport fishing in Los Cabos for the estimated models are between 2.10 and 6.65million dollars. The value of WTP can be used to propose modifications to

Innovation in the agro-food system has become a strategy increasingly used by companies as a means to increase their competitiveness and position themselves in the market. In this context, the objective of this work is to identify the attitudes and sensory perceptions of consumers towards food technology through two scales (food technology neophobia and domain specific innovativeness) and hedonic tastings. For this, a new product was selected in the market: powder to prepare rice with milk. Most consumers have attitudes toward low neophobia to products with food technology, but there is also some caution, a situation that is corroborated by the moderate predisposition towards innovations. Color and flavor attributes can make the difference in positive perceptions. It should not be forgotten that there is a segment of innovative consumers that represent a key market.

En este artículo se describe la experiencia de investigación participativa donde se destaca la importancia de la vinculación entre los actores sociales (en este caso de áreas rurales protegidas), el sector académico y las organizaciones no gubernamentales. Se analizan los resultados de una evaluación rural participativa (erp) llevada a cabo en la Reserva de la Biosfera El Vizcaíno, bcs, México. Además de identificar lo que los actores sociales perciben como problemas y las formas en que proponen vías de solución, se logró obtener información acerca del uso de los recursos naturales por parte de los residentes de las comunidades y se formuló un plan comunitario de uso de los mismos.