By Jorge Andrade and Verónica Meza
This article was translated by Marianna Gámez
Monte Ceniza was established as an Area Voluntarily Destined for Conservation on April 2016, and it is a well preserved natural space, with the particularity of being neighbored on the seashore line with oyster farming activities.
In Terra Peninsular, we are convinced of the compatibility between conservation and the aquatic farm activities on BahÃa Falsa, San Quintin. These economic activities are sustained by the wealth of the BahÃa Falsa. Preserving Monte Ceniza, its seashore line and the integrity of the bay ensures the oyster farming to maintain its good quality standards. Likewise, an organized oyster farming activity, developing inside the parameters of allowed cargo weight, generates economic resources on a regional level and does not compromise the activity or the bay’s health.
Based on these arguments, Terra Peninsular and the oyster producers held a participative land-use planning workshop, in which the agreements for land management in the aforementioned zone were accorded. This workshop took place on November 11th, 2017.
This workshop was attended by 12 people from the oyster farming operations: Nautilus, Bañaga del Mar, Brisa Marina, Litoral de Baja California, AcuÃcola Chapala, OstrÃcola El Rincón, Agromarinos, OstrÃcola del noroeste and Productos Marinos. The workshop lasted around 2 hours and matters like the spatial location of oyster operations and their adjoinings, use and disuse of roads, and oyster waste management were discussed.
It is important to highlight that the methodology used on this workshop was based on the ontological postures on the dialogue of knowledge, from which the local knowledge is recognized and encourages the functional participation of the parties involved.
Based on this principle, three exercises for participatory mapping were done:
-The first one served to clarify the spatial location of the oyster farming operations and their adjoining areas.
-The second one served to determine the most used roads by the oyster farmers, to define main and alternative roads, and to concur on the disuse of obsolete roads.
-The third exercise served to determine the origin of oyster waste patches and to designate areas for collective disposal.
Once the previously mentioned maps were generated, a dialogue began to discuss future solutions and improvement opportunities. Likewise, agreements were accorded regarding the use and disuse of the roads and oyster waste management; all parties reached compromises and the permanence of participatory planning was agreed upon.
