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About Marismas Nacionales
   Marismas Nacionales also provides the nursery grounds for larval shrimp, which flow north on the currents to Sonora, which along with Sinaloa, contains the majority of Mexico’s commercial shrimp fleet. Agricultural runoff, siltation, and saltwater intrusion have damaged the mangrove complex and reduced shrimp production there; we could also see abandoned shrimp farms from the plane, hit mainly by disease. Local fishing cooperatives and CONAPESCA (the National Fisheries Commission) are addressing declining shrimp yields and potential alternatives for fishermen willing to leave the industry. Innovation and willingness to adapt are prevalent in Sinaloa. There, fishermen use a “suripera” or a wind- and current-driven small shrimp boat that has almost no bycatch and uses only renewable energy. Sinaloa and Nayarit are at the heart of narco-violence and corruption in Mexico. Over 125 murders have occurred in Sinaloa in 2010, including the state Secretary of Tourism in January 2010. Stories of corruption, land grabs, deception, and violence are everywhere as government officials and peasant farmers (ejidatarios) continue to clash over the miles of pristine bays and beaches along the “Riviera Nayarit.” Plans to develop this tourism corridor have not slowed despite the global economic downturn and lack of investors. FONATUR, the quasi-governmental Mexican tourism development agency, is finalizing two environmental impact statements for large-scale tourism infrastructure alongside and in Marismas Nacionales, which would create even more stress on these fragile ecosystems. Local groups are calling for an “alternative tourism vision” that works in concert with the environment and incorporates local businesses and communities.
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