Waste Management

In the coastal zones and the marine environment, pollution occurs around the urban settlements, in the areas for commercial fishing and tourism, and near industrial plants to a lesser degree.  Improvements to garbage and sewage disposal would tremendously improve the state’s waste management.  Privatization of collection services could be one opportunity to manage this more efficiently.

i. Urban Waste

Despite the impact on coastal and marine environment (and individual health) from other types of water contamination, garbage on the beaches is a very public and prevalent nuisance (used tires, casings, mechanical pieces, flexible plastic waste, miscellaneous containers, pieces of branches, and solid waste in general).  The large municipal landfills also continue to be a high priority -- the plagues of flies, mosquitoes, rats, and domestic and street animals are visible public health threats.

Pollution that has resulted from increased tourism is more of an indirect problem that could potentially be solved through improved urban planning, regulatory enforcement, and updated infrastructure.  For example, in the marinas of Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, oil, cleaning products, paint, and sewage are dumped overboard; these practices also occur offshore near the islands and in the secluded bays that are commonly used for anchorages and coastal fishing.

There are approximately nine million used tires in and around La Paz, located in official and unofficial dumps.  Regulations to the contrary aside, tires are imported on a daily basis from the U.S. that have been used and discarded.  Sometimes, fires break out, creating toxic plumes that must burn themselves out because the local fire department does not have the proper equipment to extinguish them.  They are also a breeding habitat for mosquitoes, the vector for dengue and hemorrhagic dengue.[1]  Examples exist in many places for recycling used tires, using them for playground surfaces, as a replacement for asphalt, and for recreational facilities and schools.

 

ii. Hazardous and Industrial Waste

Waste from the fishery slaughterhouses is frequent in coastal zones throughout the state, but its volume is small because it coming mainly from small-scale, riverside fishing.  However, in the shellfish fisheries (catarina scallop and mano de león oyster) in the Pacific Ocean and in the squid fishery in the Gulf of California, the waste is disposed of directly on the beach and into the sea.  In addition, trawl and flake fishing contribute considerably to organic contamination even though the fleet is relatively small. This practice is called “bycatch disposal”, defined as non-target fish, reptile, and marine mammal species that are thrown dead back into the sea.  Although the Upper Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve is generally cited as the main area threatened by “bycatch disposal”, this could be a problem is areas such as the Magdalena-Almejas lagoon complex, which contains 90% of the Baja California Sur’s shrimp fishing.[2] Industrial liquid waste is also visible to the general public[3], mainly from spent oil waste in mechanical and private shops.

iii. Wastewater

The state government signed the Agreement for the Prevention, Control and Combating of Contamination of the Marine Environment due to waste water and other discharges into the sea, which four coastal states along the Gulf of California took part in after an initiative from the Navy.  Inspection and surveillance actions are a major part of this agreement.  As a result, agreements have also been signed with UABCS, CIBNOR, and the Interdisciplinary Marine Science Center (CICIMAR) to focus on sea bird and sea lion protection.The greatest threat is to the San José del Cabo estuary, which has been affected by nearby construction and water pollution to the maximum extent.