Ensenada y San Quintín every spring and summer, they host a very special visitor: the snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus), a diminutive migratory shorebird which depends on these coasts to reproduce. But their presence has been increasingly compromised by human encroachment on their fragile habitat.
This small bird nests directly on the sand, which leaves it exposed to a long list of hazards, including vehicle traffic on the beach, unleashed dogs, and even intensive algae cleaning, which removes tiny crustaceans and insects that hide among the marine debris, its main food source.
Faced with this situation, local authorities have begun to take more forceful measures. In the nesting sites signs have been posted warning of penalties for trespassing in these areas. Fines range from 120,000 to one million pesos, and up to nine years in prison for crimes against biodiversity.
These measures are intended to discourage human activities that endanger the reproduction of the snowy ploversuch as the recreational use of vehicles on the sand or the presence of unsupervised domestic animals.
Partnerships for conservation
Organizations such as Pronatura Noroeste, Pro Esteros, Pacifica at Ensenada Bay, Pajareando y Conservandoand the Punta Banda Conservation Alliance work together with authorities such as ZOFEMAT and the Directorate of Ecology of Ensenada to monitor and protect the most important nesting areas, which are Pacific Beach, Conalep, Military y Estero Bar.
In addition to direct protection actions, efforts include educational activities in schools and guided bird watching tours to raise community awareness of the importance of preserving this ecosystem.
"Shorebirds play a role in the food chain and their conservation is shared with other countries. What we do here also impacts beyond our borders," explained Lizz González Moreno, coordinator of Conservation Education at Pronatura Noroeste.
For the past three years, these groups have conducted periodic monitoring to locate nests and record individuals. This season, 36 snowy plovers, three active nests and three chicks have been counted.
The snowy plover is an indicator of ecological balance on the beaches of northwestern Mexico. Its survival depends on the sum of institutional, community and legal efforts. To protect it today is to ensure that the beaches remain safe habitats for coastal biodiversity in the future.
Source: Pronatura Noroeste
