WiLDCOAST organizes National Coastal Cleanup
YUCATAN COAST, MEXICO -
Nov 2008 - To counter the growing plastic crisis in Mexico, on Saturday November 1st, WiLDCOAST will launch Mexico's first every National Coastal Cleanup in more than 100 sites throughout the country.
WiLDCOAST has partnered with Televisa Mexico's biggest national television network, Promotora Ambiental, the National
Water Agency (CONAGUA), the Ministry of the Environment (SEMARNAT) and the National Park Service and other private
sector partners to organize this event.
Throughout the month of November volunteers in 25 states will clean another 135 places. "We are very excited to partner
with the private sector, the Mexican Government, and other Non-profit Organizations in this historic effort. We hope to
make this a yearly event," said Serge Dedina, executive director of WiLDCOAST. "Last year on a surf trip to Guerrero I
was blown away by the amount of plastic I found littering remote beaches and point breaks."
On Saturday WiLDCOAST team members will clean beaches in the Gulf of Mexico with Juan Elvira Quesada, Mexico's
Environmental Minister, wrestling sensation, El Hijo del Santo and Veracruz Governor Fidel Herrerra.
"Our objectives are to inform and educate about the terrible problem trash has become in Mexico and how it harms
humans and the rest of the environment. We also want to introduce the topic of reducing the amount of trash we generate
by recycling and reusing or not using plastic bags, plates, and the terrible foam hot cups," said Aida Navarro,
WiLDCOAST Wildlife Coordinator.
According to the United Nations, plastic, is killing more than a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals and sea turtles
each year. Bottle tops, plastic bags and foam coffee cups can be found in the stomachs of dead sea turtles, dolphins, and seals.
In the U.S., volunteer organizations participate in the annual National Coastal Clean Up Day each September, in which
hundreds of thousands of people scour the coastline nationwide for trash, picking up thousands of tons of debris.
In Mexico, however, rural coastal communities have almost no support for establishing landfills and eliminating the
plague of plastic that is spreading to even the most remote coastal areas. Mexico's extensive network of rivers
carries plastic from cities downstream to the coast.
Last year WiLDCOAST visited a remote sea turtle nesting beach
in the Gulf of Mexico state of Tamaulipas with our superhero ocean defender, El Hijo del Santo. "I couldn't believe
how much plastic covered a beach so far removed from the nearest city," said Fay Crevoshay, Communications Director of WiLDCOAST.
Earlier in the year WiLDCOAST held Mexico's largest ever beach cleanup in Playas de Tijuana, just across from the U.S.-Mexico border
on February 9th. Thousands of people from Tijuana and Baja's northern coastline joined together to clean up one of
Baja's most heavily used and dirtiest beaches.
On Sunday November 2nd, WiLDCOAST will be hosting massive cleanups at Playas de Tijuana and at San Miguel in Ensenada.
For more information and to register to host a cleanup, contact WiLDCOAST at info@wildcoast.net or go to www.wildcoast/net/sitio
and click on the Beach Cleanup section (in Spanish).
Photographer captures Golden ray migration off coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula
YUCATAN COAST, MEXICO - October 2008 - Amateur photographer Sandra Critelli stumbled across the
bi-annual mass migration
of Golden rays while looking for
whale sharks off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.
From her position at the bow of a boat, she looked down upon the phenomenum which she said looked "like giant leaves floating in the sea."
The thousands of rays changed vast areas of blue water to gold.
"It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades
of gold and looked like a bed of
autumn
leaves gently moved by the wind. We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge
of the school and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at
the right time to experience nature at its best," she said.
Measuring up to seven feet long from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also known as cow nose rays and can be seen in
many places throughout the
Gulf
of Mexico, although not often in such large numbers.
Golden rays have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads which gives
them a cow-like appearance. Despite having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.
The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, from western Florida to the Yucatan.
Dokken participates in scientific forum
COATZACOALCOS, MEXICO - June 1, 2007 - GMF's Executive Director Quenton Dokken participated in the Third International Meeting
of the Sea 2007 Scientific Forum in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. The gathering included mayors and leaders of municipalities around
the Gulf of Mexico, including speakers from Mexico, the United States, Chile and Cuba. Topics included the use of waters of the sea;
models of coastal development, and the impact of the climatic change in the coastal cities of Mexico. Dr. Dokken and Dr. John Jacob
with Texas Sea Grant led a panel discussion called, "Habitat Conservation and Restoration: The Need for a Gulf-wide Alliance of Local Governments."
Dr. Cuauhtémoc León Diez with CONABIO served as moderator
for that portion of the program.
Dokken meets with Veracruz governor’s staff
VERACRUZ, MEXICO - March 10, 2007 - GMF's Executive Director Quenton Dokken met with Rafael Arias, Secretary for Finance and
Planning in Governor Fidel Herrera’s administration, in Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, to discuss opportunities for US and Mexican collaborative
efforts on environmental issues around the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Arias will be a speaker at the July meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance workshop in
St. Petersburg, Florida, and will talk about Governor Herrera’s interest and commitment to address environmental
challenges in the State of Veracruz. The Governor’s office plans to host local meetings throughout the State to speak
on topic areas identified in the first Gulf of Mexico Summit held in Corpus Christi, Texas, in March of 2006.
Those topic areas are:
- economic development and stability
- environmental health and sustainability
- public health
- policy
Dr. Dokken will work with the Veracruz Governor’s office in support of their environmental efforts as they relate to the Gulf of Mexico.
GMF, Pronatura discuss common goals
MATAMOROS, MEXICO, April 6, 2006 - To discuss mutual conservation goals concerning the Gulf of Mexico and Laguna Madre, representatives from the
Gulf of Mexico Foundation traveled to Matamoros, Mexico, today to meet with Pronatura Noreste, a Mexican non-profit conservation organization.
Pronatura, established in 1981, operates offices in six regions throughout the country of Mexico. The organization has initiated
many conservation efforts throughout the past 25 years, establishing protected areas, restoring habitat, and educating the public about the importance of the
environment and sustainable environmental practices.
Established in 1997, Pronatura Noreste (Northeast) is the youngest region of the Pronatura family. The mission of Pronatura Noreste is to
conserve and promote the sustainable use of natural resources for the health and life of northeastern Mexico.
In April 2005, following many years of work, Pronatura Noreste was responsible for having the Mexican federal government declare one million
acres of the Laguna Madre of Tamaulipas a natural protected area.
Attending the meeting from the GMF were Dr. Quenton Dokken, executive director, and project coordinators Kendal Keyes and Richard Gonzalez.
From Pronatura Noreste (Northeast) were Magdalena Rovalo, general director, and coordinators Hector Quintanilla, Alfonso Banda and Cristina Gil.
During the meeting, representatives from both organizations identified a primary mutual goal: promoting sustainable use of environmental
resources. The Gulf of Mexico Foundation and Pronatura Noreste are both working, through many venues including education and restoration, to reach that goal. The
organizations have initiated an exchange of ideas and information and may begin working together on education, restoration, and other conservation projects in
the near future.
For more information visit, Pronatura Noreste online.
Gulf of Mexico Foundation - PMB 51, 5403 Everhart - Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(800) 884-4175 toll free - (361) 882-3939 phone - (361) 882-1262 fax
e-mail: info@gulfmex.org
website: gulfmex.org
webmaster: Carrie Robertson
