Regional Landscape Change in Fishing Communities of the Mexican North Pacific

Abstract

The study of rural communities is a key element in understanding economic activities and conserving successful methods of resource management and social organisation. The conceptual and operational research axes were interdisciplinary environmental geography and integrative concept landscape. A participatory geographic information system (PGIS) was built to incorporate scientific and local knowledge. Regional landscape changes were analysed in fishing communities of the Mexican North Pacific, based on three historical maps. The main land-and seascape changes were: extensive stockbreeding disappeared; intensive agriculture increased; human settlements expanded; and fishing zones were created, divided and expanded seawards. Marine environment was the most changeable territory, reflecting the dominance of fishing activities. The PGIS proved to be a useful tool for identifying and understanding the changes in fishery management and the resulting dynamics of marine landscape zoning in the various communities, and in future projects would be equally applicable to coastal management and territorial organisation.

Exploring the Nexus between the Blue Economy and Information Technologies: A Systematic Literature Review of Information Systems in Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture

“…Further, studies indicate that GIS serve as a pivotal tool for delineating the topographic features and landscapes of marine ecosystems [18,19,20], including the social and cultural landscape through participatory GIS [21]. It also plays a crucial role in predicting fishing zones, habitat suitability, as well as the abundance and distribution of marine species [22,23,24,25]. Furthermore, it assists in evaluating marine ecological stressors and assessing human and industrial disturbances [26].…”

Fishing in a congested sea: What do marine protected areas imply for the future of the Maltese artisanal fleet?

“…Coastal fisheries, which are predominantly characterised by local fishers engaging in traditional fishing methods, are long considered to be an integral part of the social and economic fabric of coastal communities worldwide (Álvarez, Seingier, Bocco, Espejel, & Noriega, 2015). Artisanal and small-scale fishing activity varies across different countries (Guyader et al, 2013), but typically involves short fishing trips close to the home fishing port and hence is confined to the coastal zones (Maynou, Recasens, & Lombarte, 2011).…”