Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Although some progress has been made toward a better understanding of marine mammal utilization in the Southeastern Caribbean, no comparative analysis has been carried out to see how such practices originated, developed, and finally impacted the marine mammal populations in that region. We conducted field and archival studies for Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We analyzed records of whaling, dolphin fisheries, and manatee exploitation for those countries, interviewed local fishers, and explored the remains of whaling stations in each area. Our results show that each of these countries developed a different pattern of whale and dolphin exploitation, but similar patterns of utilizing manatees. We conclude that these five neighboring countries, although sharing essentially the same marine mammal species, developed different exploitation practices in terms of species targeted, capture techniques, and time periods in which that exploitation took place, due to different cultural circumstances.

Monterey pine ( D. Don) is an enigmatic species. Native to only Mexico and USA, it is restricted to three populations along the central coast of California and one on each of two Mexican islands off Baja California— Guadalupe and Cedros Islands. Commercially, it is grown in exotic plantations worldwide on over 4 million hectares with high economic value, yet there is little value in its countries of origin. Overall, the species has lost perhaps 50% of its natural habitat and is threatened by various human-related influences. The two insular pine populations are well differentiated genetically and have different ecological associations both from each other and the mainland populations Although Guadalupe Island has protected status under the Mexican Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the pine population may be headed towards extinction because of grazing pressure from introduced goats. On neither island are the pines protected from current threats or do they have dedicated funding or a specific conservation plan. Effective longterm conservation of the pines requires a consistent, institutionalized strategy and dedicated funding. International interest in the insular pine populations can contribute to their conservation through research, providing information to support conservation plans and public education materials, providing the technical justification and a proposal to include the island populations of Monterey pine on the threatened and endangered species list in Mexico, maintaining a backup seed collection for restoration, publicizing the value and vulnerability of these populations, and providing funds, as possible. A multinational expedition to both islands in 2001 to collect seeds and information for conservation purposes is an example of the feasibility and value of international collaboration in protecting the Mexican island pines.

Bolivia is one of the most biological diverse countries of the world maintaining vast, intact humid and dry forest ecosystems; yet, it is the poorest country in South America where both poverty and development lead to biodiversity degradation and loss. Conservation efforts have evolved rapidly from the first species-protection-laws in the nineteenth century, to the creation of the first national park in the mid-twentieth century, to the implementation of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, the formulation of a national biodiversity strategy, and a current national protected-area-coverage of 16%. However, there are severe conflicts with accelerating economic and development. Threats in the most sensible ecoregions (e.g. population shifts from the Andes to the forest lowlands, increasing agricultural activities, growing activities of the oil and gas sector, deforestation, climate change) represent important conservation problems. Based on the current institutional, social, economic and ecological situation, the paper describes the general challenges for future biodiversity conservation.

This chapter analyzes farm modernizing efforts placed in the 1970s by the Mexican national government in the Zacapoaxtla, Mexico region of Totonac and Nahua subsistence farmers. The case explores relations between environmental and political change, and the role that peasants play in that change. The postrevolutionary Mexican government began deliberately targeting peasants for such projects in the 1960s not only to increase food output in the country, but also to revive the regime’s populist self-representation and to squelch rising dissent. The Zacapoaxtla project began in 1974 with the priority placed on “modernizing” maize. By “modernizing” is meant the introduction of scientific technology such as hybrid seed, synthetic pesticides, and synthetic fertilizer that was the standard toolbox of the Green Revolution modernization programs. However, after the first three years of the program, the top priority placed on maize was abandoned by the technicians implementing the program in favor of the goal to organize peasants into marketing and purchasing cooperatives. Northern Sierra peasants rejected most of these proposed farm technologies, partly because the methods were environmentally and economically inappropriate. In this sense, the Zacapoaxtla environment conditioned the state project and therefore participated in political change

This chapter examines the intersection of forestry management, forest trade, and local democracy in Mexican communities. It traces the historical development of environmental policy and the Mexican forest industry that eventually led to community control of forest resources. Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the forest certification process on trade and local people are also discussed. This chapter examines various case study examples to explore the hypothesis that local control and democracy are necessary for environmental sustainability, especially in forest-based communities of Mexico. It concludes that communal forestry management offers new hopes for environmental and democratic sustainability.

Rapid urbanization and increased industrialization have led to high pollution levels throughout Latin America. Economists tout policies based on market-based economic incentives as the most cost-effective methods for addressing a wide variety of environmental problems. This chapter examines market-based incentives and their applicability to Latin America. We first review the market-based incentives traditionally used to address pollution and compare these instruments to command-and-control policies. We then discuss two sets of factors that affect how feasible and efficient pollution control policy will be in Latin America: practical considerations, and the violation of standard modeling assumptions. Finally, we compare Latin American experiences with market-based incentives to those in the U.S. and Europe and conclude with several policy recommendations.

The parable of the tragedy of the commons tells that resources held under open access conditions are prone to over-exploitation. For fisheries, regulations to limit aggregate catch improve resource use yet promote over-investment. Optimal regulation would limit the investments and labor dedicated to harvesting, a task quite difficult in a global forum. Motivated by three reasons, the member-states of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission have attempted such limits for the purse-seine yellowfin fishery, in addition to implementing other conservation measures. First, increases in fishing capacity by existing participants and newcomers have resulted in financial losses for the major fleets. Second, the resolution of the tuna-dolphin controversy encouraged additional harvesting capacity in an already-crowded fishery. Finally, bureaucratic changes in some countries have empowered fishery professionals who balance sustainable resource use with economic development. The strength of these influences, as well as efforts and concessions to create a regime, vary among the states involved.

Market-based conservation strategies have been proposed to encourage more sustainable and environmentally sensitive management practices in biodiversity rich areas. By paying a price premium, consumers can provide a market signal through their purchases to encourage producers to use less damaging management practices. This approach has been heavily promoted for a wide range of products from the Neotropics. These products are often the focus of sustainable development programs and highlight certification as a means for consumers to recognize the conservation value of the product. Recent research has shown significant benefits for biodiversity from less intensive extraction methods. While these results are a good basis for early optimism, they are not sufficient to ensure long-term conservation success. There is a growing scientific literature on how to monitor ecological integrity in conservation programs. This stronger scientific understanding suggests there are limitations to conservation in managed landscapes. This chapter reviews certification programs thus far proposed and implemented, focusing on shade-grown coffee as an example. Using birds, a highly visible and well-studied taxa, the scientific evidence is reviewed and compared with conservation goals. Based on available evidence, suggestions are made on how certification can enhance current conservation efforts and what research is still needed as programs develop. Overall, a general approach is proposed for monitoring and evaluating environmentally friendly certification programs that may give consumers not only confidence but also an awareness of how their purchase may contribute to conservation. kg]Key words

Since the passage of the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988, the public prosecutors of the Brazilian Ministério Público have become significant actors in environmental protection through their use of investigative and legal instruments to impose civil and criminal liability for environmental harms. The Brazilian Ministério Público’s work is a response to the ‘non-enforcement problem’ of Brazilian environmental law in which laws tend to be strong ‘on-the-books’ but weak in practice. This chapter describes and analyzes the involvement of the Brazilian Ministério Público in environmental protection. It presents the instruments that prosecutors use to defend environmental interests; describes and provides an explanation for the legal and institutional changes in the 1980s that allowed the Ministério Público to become a significant actor in environmental protection; and assesses the effectiveness of the prosecutorial enforcement of environmental laws in Brazil.

Citizen participation in policy-making has been touted as the cornerstone of every democratic regime. Encouraging society members to participate in political life allows for a more meaningful, inclusive approach to policy agenda setting, design and implementation. As a result, innovative processes that encourage citizen input in policy-making also have the potential to provide solid foundations to a vigorous, strong democracy. Despite this need for citizen participation, it should also be acknowledged that, for society at large, it is almost impossible to participate in every forum of the environmental policymaking arena. As a result, the number and variety of environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) has increased almost exponentially in the last few years. ENGOs take upon themselves the role of representing the interests of the people (thus encouraging ‘democracy by proxy’). This paper traces ENGO involvement in effecting policy change in Mexico by documenting instances where their influence proved to be effective. I also outline the different strategies used by these ENGOs, with a strong focus on NGO coalition-building and network formation. Building on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, I analyse empirical evidence of environmental policy change and then I trace the extent to which this change can be attributed to ENGO influence. Theoretical and empirical implications of my research are also discussed.