Lopez Mateos and Loggerhead turtles:
a close relationship

The Proyecto Caguama is based at Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Baja California Sur, the fishing community closest to the loggerhead hotspot. Five of the seven species of sea turtles in the world are known to occur in these waters and all listed as vulnerable or endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Because of the traditionally high bycatch of loggerheads in the region, the future of loggerheads is in the hands of the fishermen and families of Puerto Lopez Mateos and nearby towns more than anyone else in the Pacific.
It is relevant to understand the cultural importance that sea turtles have for the local communities of Bahia Magdalena. These animals have historically been a primary food resource for the coastal inhabitants of these communities. Sea turtles are also used by locals as medicine, decoration items, and aphrodisiacs.
Since sea turtle exploitation developed from a local use to a national and international market, thousands of turtles were being captured every year. In the 1960’s a sea turtle slaughterhouse was found in Magdalena Island. Here between 150 and 250 turtles were processed per week, primarily black turtles but also including some loggerhead and olive ridley turtles. In 1990 the Mexican Government banned the extraction, capture and harm of all sea turtle species in Mexican national territory.
Even though the regulations exist, they are not adequately enforced. Recent data collected indicates that sea turtle consumption in the Californias is as high as 35,000 individuals per year. This is why the community empowerment for sea turtle conservation, done by proCaguama and the Grupo Tortuguero, is so relevant to sea turtle survival worldwide.