Conservation Alabama is an article written by Jerry D. Davis, Chief Executive Officer and one of the principle founders of the Alabama Waterfowl Association. Also, serves as Board of Director on the North American Waterfowl Federation. Serve as publicity director for the Alabama / Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association. AWA are members of the Southeast Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA).
Conservation Alabama
May 21, 2000
RIVIERA MAYA MEXICO A SPORTSMEN AND VACATION PARADISE
All you duck hunters and other outdoor enthusiast, it is time you save your money and take your family, wife or significant other on a vacation for putting up with your outdoor vice of hunting and/or fishing. The Riviera Maya lies from Cancun and runs some 110 kilometers south in Quintana Roo, Mexico. This is located on what's known as the Yucatan peninsula, on the east side is the Caribbean Coast, on the north and west side is the Gulf of Mexico. This area offers some of the clearest and most beautiful water in the world. Also this area is tropical mangroves and has some unusual animal and plant life. Toucan, parrots and other birds inhibit this jungle and rain forest area. Also this area has deep water just off the coast that makes this one of the best big game fishing spots in the world.
The rain forest and the coastal wetlands and marshes is where many of the ducks, neo-tropical migrant and butterflies of North America over-winter. The monarch butterfly travels the 3,000 thousand-mile journey in one fall to migrate to Mexico; it takes 4 life cycles to get back to their original reproduction grounds in Canada. Many of the humming birds in Alabama and North America depend on the winter flowers of the jungles of Mexico and wetlands for their winter habitat. The all-inclusive resorts on the Maya Riveria makes this one of most affordable luxurious vacations available. Many of the people are Native American, or have Native American ancestry, or MesoAmerican. I urge you to learn a few Spanish courtesy phases; the Mexican people I met were very friendly and helpful. I am ashamed to say the only people I saw that were rude were from the United States, however 99.9 percent of the U.S. people I talked with were very courteous also.
Vacationing Recommendations:
I would recommend an all-inclusive resort for your first visit; the Palace Resorts have 7 sister resorts that your visiting, eating and drinking pass is good at all the sister resorts. We stayed at the Aventuras Palace, which is in walking distance of Puerto Aventuras (this is the fishing center). Also this Palace Resort is an all-adult facility with a very romantic flair. I would recommend going through a travel agent, because the packages are usually very well arranged from your flight to your resort liaison person that speaks Spanish, and will help you book trips and excursions. According to our tour liaison about 50 percent of the tourist are from the U.S. and 50 percent are European. You can book through your travel agent or if you do not have one International Tours in Jonesboro, Arkansas (870) 972-5580 Ms. Leslie Adams specializes in Riviera Maya, Mexico tours. Flying out of Nashville, Atlanta or Birmingham may be cheaper for your vacation package. , I am happy to have the fishing business and see the good jobs for fellow Mexicans, but I hate to see all the lost land to development and the traffic, pollution from the resorts, and seeing the wildlife disappear". Oscar, pointed to a condo development and said, "I used to see jaguars and parrots over there, but no more, they have left because of development. I live at Playa del Carmen and that town has grown too large for me, I am looking for a more rural home now". Member of:
The developers of the Riviera Maya did do a good ecological deed by installing three eco-parks along the Caribbean Coast that you should visit at least one while you are in this area. Epu Ha, Xel Ha and Xcaret are all eco-parks with beautiful beaches, snorkeling on coral reefs, cenotes, Jaguars (Felis Onca), Orchids, butterfly pavilion and Maya show. A vacation to the Yucatan will be an opportunity to see another culture and learn more about America's history. Also, visit Playa Del Carmen and take the ferry to Cozumel and a tour of the Island, a very interesting place and great snorkeling area.
Web site http://cancun-all-inclusive.com/index.html
I will have to say that it is a hazard to drive in Mexico and would recommend you buy Mexican Liability Insurance for your protection if you rent a car, if you have an accident it will automatically be your fault. One other negative is I hate to see, children come up and ask for money. I told them to go to school and they can make their own money. I think some of the parents exploit their children to do this begging for them. You only see this around smaller villages and I think these negatives will fade out in the future.
Fishing: Some of the best big game or bill fishing that is available here without traveling miles by boat to enjoy. A large gorge runs along the Riviera Maya coast to the Island of Cozumel. I arrived at Puerto Aventuras town and marina, Q. Roo Mexico at 8:00 AM May 8, 2000. I had booked a half-day share-fishing trip with Captain Oscar Millan with the Fishing Center. I meet my fishing partners and we left the port at 9 AM. A ten-minute ride and we dropped our lines off the outriggers and start trolling a jig and baitfish. Mr. Chris Isabella from Baltimore, Maryland was the first to hook a sailfish. After 3 spectacular leaps and a 30 Mexican minute battle the deck hand expertly hauled the sail into the boat. All billfish is a catch, tag and release program. We landed a barracuda and had another sail to the boat and at the last moment the sail took a dive towards the back of the boat and the propeller cut the line. Not too bad for a half-day trip 4 bites and 2 fish boated. The best big game fishing is from mid April through June. I would recommend if you ever have the opportunity to vacation in this area you go fishing. You can share fish (just pay your share of boat usually $75-$100 for half a day with four, $150 for an all day trip.) or go with a partner and share expenses. Just for curiosity I asked our Captain and boat owner Oscar Millan, how he felt about all the development in this area? He stated, " I have mixed feeling about the development, I am happy to have the fishing business and see the good jobs for fellow Mexicans, but I hate to see all the lost land to development and the traffic, pollution from the resorts, and seeing the wildlife disappear". Oscar, pointed to a condo development and said, "I used to see jaguars and parrots over there, but no more, they have left because of development. I live at Playa Del Carmen and that town has grown too large for me, I am looking for a more rural home now".
Enclosed is the address for information on fishing at Puerto Aventuras.
Photo included of, deck hands and Mr. Chris Isabella from Baltimore, Maryland.
History of Yucatan 
The Maya make up the largest homogenous group of Indians north of Peru, inhabiting a vast area that encompasses Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and parts of the states of Tabasco and Chiapas, as well as Guatemala, Belize and parts of western Honduras and El Salvador. While not the earliest of the great Mesoamerican civilizations, the Maya are generally considered the most brilliant of all the Classic groups. The culture's beginnings have been traced back to 1500 BC, entering the Classic period about 300 AD and flourishing between 600 and 900 AD.
Mayan settlements were situated close to cenotes, natural water holes that allowed for survival in an inhospitable tropical climate. The basis of the culture was farming, which included not only the cultivation of maize, beans, squash, and chili peppers, but also "cash crops" of cotton and cacao.
Considered the most outstanding intellects of ancient Mexico, the Maya devised a complex style of hieroglyphic writing that has yet to be fully deciphered. They refined the exact sciences learned from other prehispanic civilizations. Through their knowledge of astronomy and mathematics they calculated the lunar cycle, predicted eclipses and other heavenly events with great precision and formulated a unique calendar system more exact than the one we use today.
Notable sites of the northern lowland region that is worth visiting (Yucatan Peninsula) include Chichen Itza, Dzibilchaltun, Tulum and Uxmal. Located in the southern lowland region, the Maya heartland, are Bonampak, Copan, Palenque and Tikal.
Tourism development is taking up huge amount of habitat / NAFTA has helped to accelerate the development and causing environmental concerns.
Critics said it would never work. Supporters augured prosperity for all. Today, five years after the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect, perhaps neither forecast was entirely on the mark, but numbers and personal experiences clearly tilt the scale in favor of the NAFTA backers.
Indeed, trade statistics speak of overwhelming success. Since 1993, the year before the trade agreement among Mexico, the United States and Canada went into effect, commerce among the three countries has surged by more than 70 percent, from around US$300 billion to US$515 billion. Two-way trade between Mexico and its largest trading partner, the United States, has risen 71 percent in the same period, and trade between Mexico and Canada has grown by 80 percent. Beyond sales The positive impact of NAFTA has not only been seen in increased sales and jobs, but in the creation of larger, longer-term endeavors like multinational business alliances and a new business mentality.
Perhaps one of the areas that have seen less progress than others since the implementation of NAFTA is the environment. Edward Hoyt, director general of EIC Consultores de M�xico, an energy and environmental consulting and project development firm, sums up the environmental picture by saying "there were substantial problems (prior to NAFTA), and there continue to be substantial problems." Hazardous waste and treatment of industrial waste are of particular concern. "There has not been an adequate handling of hazardous waste," either before NAFTA, or since the accord's implementation, says Gustavo Alan�s, president of the Mexican Environmental Law Center. The problem, says Alan�s, is not one of having the appropriate legislation in place-as Mexico does-but rather one of enforcing that legislation. And in terms of specifics, the Economic Policy Institute claims that some of NAFTA's shortcomings on the environment include having generated only 1 percent of the money promised for cleanup activities, higher ozone levels along the border, and even an incidence of Hepatitis-A in the border region that is two to five times higher than the U.S. average.
Despite this less than optimistic scenario, things would almost certainly have been worse without the accord. AmCham's 1997 NAFTA survey showed that more than half of the respondents (57.1 percent) has invested in new technology to improve their environmental practices since 1994. The median amount spent per company between 1994 and 1997 was US$200,000-and this in a sample where more than 40 percent of the respondents were small or medium-sized companies. So even on the environmental front, "NAFTA has delivered in some respects," Hoyt says, citing "some progress" in the reduction of water and air pollution. But perhaps more importantly, NAFTA has made it easier to import the equipment needed for (environmental) projects, and "to the extent NAFTA makes environmental goods and services cheaper, the environment is benefited," Hoyt says.
NAFTA has locked in fundamental economic reforms in Mexico and, these reforms are being widened and deepened. With the increase in commerce between United States, Canada and Mexico, the economic outlook has been dramatically improved.
Tourism development is running rampant in the Riviera Maya, even though tourism is one of the cleaner Industries, this type of development inspires industrial and other types of development, and is impacting the Caribbean mangroves drastically.
I have the same feeling as many of the Mayan and other Mexican people that I conversed with on this trip. I am happy to see the people of this area improve their standard of living, with better paying jobs, roads, housing, the Mayan Native Americans deserves the prosperity. I enjoy having such a nice place to go on vacation and relax. I also ponder if this is going to improved or harm the native people's quality of life, some people will say yes and some will say no. I can see pollution and conservation problems ahead if action is not taken very soon. I hope some Mexican conservation organization will develop and over see a good plan for conserving this haven. I urge all in the U.S. and Canada to also help Mexico and will tell you how in the next paragraph
Importance of habitat in this area to Alabama and the rest of North America:
The life cycle of many of the U.S. and Canada wildlife crosses all the borders of North America. I urge all you to write or call your Congressmen and urge them to work on a plan with the United Mexican States Government to help preserve this unique ecosystem that is so important to Alabama's migrating birds and butterflies. It is believed that the loss of staging and wintering habitat is the reason North America's neo-tropical migrating songbird bird population has declined by 40 percent.
To look at some of the scrubby growth that you see traveling down the Caribbean Coastal road Mexico 307 that you would not think this was such good habitat, but you have to travel into this growth to see the real fauna of tropical habitat. With over 100 species of orchids and other beautiful flowers that grow around the cenotes (crystal clear fresh water springs and underground aquifers) you can see why the North American neo-tropical birds fly the great distance to enjoy this habitat. Also, this area is where one of the largest colonies if the pink flamingos nest. I was also surprised to see blue wing teal still in the Yucatan on May 8, 2000, I would have thought that all the teal would be headed back to Canada. The white half moon crescent on the male teal was especially beautiful on the aqua blue water of the Caribbean Ocean. This area of the Yucatan Peninsula has built three ecoparks as part of mitigating some of the lost habitat to the rapid development, which I will discuss in the next topic.
Mexico has many hectares of coastal marshes and wetlands that are so vital to local and migratory wildlife. This is especially true in the state of Tabasco, Mexico. I hope our Congressmen and the people in the U.S. and Canada do realize just how important Mexico is to a healthy North American migratory bird population, and our butterflies. I think the last jungle and rain forest that is in North America should be preserved as much as possible. I think the U.S. has learned the best and cheapest way to preserve habitat and have good stewards of the land is to work with the private land owner, hunting clubs and farmers and provide incentives to keep their land out of development and adverse environmental initiatives. I think more of U. S. and Canada conservation organizations should continue to work with Mexican agencies and conservation groups to help preserve habitat thus creating a more healthy environment in North America. I know this trip has been illuminating to me about the importance of working with the entire North American migratory bird habitat.
I applaud the great strides that have been made in Mexico's conservation concerns and regulations. This has been accomplished with technical advice from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with organizations of great prestige like: The Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, the PEW Foundation, and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council are supporting these activities along with the North American Waterfowl Federation made up of 22 state waterfowl conservation organizations in the United States and Canada lending a helping hand to conserve Mexico's habitat.
Listed below are important improvements for conservation in Mexico:
NASA is helping with providing information obtained from satellite imaging that is fundamental to elaborate diagnosis of wetlands in Mexico and make recommendations on future research and management. Projects to be installed into the initiative include the states of Chihuahua, Yucatan, Tamaulipas, and the coast of Sinaloa.
RESERVA PROGRAM
This program trains managers of parks and reserves in Latin America on the most modern conservation techniques.
Since 1989, twelve 90-day intensive courses have been completed, with the participation of 20 Latin American countries and one African nation. Reserva's instructors are specialists of renowned experience in the topics and areas of study.
Reserva is supported by the Secreatariat of Environment, Natural Resources and Fishing of Mexico, the Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Institute of Technology of Monterrey,
Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Program: This program began in the 94/95 season. Funds obtained are invested in wetland conservation programs for migratory waterfowl in Mexico.
Steel Shot is required for waterfowl hunting throughout Mexico
Regulations: Waterfowl hunting activities must comply with the following regulations:
Art. 28 Motorized vehicles by land, air or water used to pursue waterowl are prohibited, as well as traps, artificial light and electronic devices, the same as in the United States. Hunting is prohibited half an hour after sundown and half an hour before sunrise. Artificial decoys and mouth operated calls are permitted, so are retrievers.
Art. 56 The Procuradur�a Federal de Protecci�n al Ambiente/PROFEPA (Federal Environmental Protection Agency) is in Charge of enforcing the Hunting Calendar dispositions.
END
Information and reference material for this article other than my interviews came from the following sources:
http://www.cnf.org.mx/main_cnf2.htm
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