Int.J Sustain. Dm. Wmkl Ecol. 8 (2001) 155-165 Salt production at San Ignacio Lagoon: a Sustainable Development Project? Alji-edo Ortega-Rubio, Daniel Lluch-Cota and Aradit Castellanos-Vera Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz, México Key words: San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico, salt production, sustainable development SUMMARY This work is devoted to analyzing the pros and cons of the proposed San Ignacio Lagoon (SIL) salt production project in Baja California Sur, México. The analysis of the project was done taking into account the technical data of the main potential effects of the SIL project, and by comparing the SIL proposed actions with the data of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, where an almost identical salt production project has been operating for more than 44 years. The analysis was done from the following perspectives: biodiversity, biosphere reserve management, and socioeconomic development. The resulting analysis of the pros and cons of the SIL salt production project addresses key aspects of sustainable development in Third World nations. The resulting analysis indicates that the SIL salt production project is compatible with the biodiversity conservation of the zone. The SIL salt production project seems to be one of the best options to attain the sustainable use of natural resources of the most arid and isolated zone of al1 México. INTRODUCTION During 1994, the Compañia Exportadora de Sal has been operating for more than 44 years. The (ESSA, Salt Export Company) ,a Mexican Federal analysis is made from the perspectives of bie company with 49% private Japanese capital, diversity, biosphere reserve management, and proposed a new project to develop salt production socioeconomic development. activities in the surroundings of San Ignacio The resulting analysis of the pros and cons of Lagoon (SIL), Baja California Sur (BCS), México the SIL salt production project addresses key (Figure 1) . aspects of sustainable development in Third World The SIL salt production project has generated nations, such as the balance of environmental considerable attention and controversy, both at and economic considerations; ensuring and main- the national and international level. This work is taining of economic, social and environmental devoted to the analysis of the pros and cons of the sustainability in an isolated and restrictive region, proposed project, taking into account the and the difficulties of developing productive technical data, the main potential effects of the activities in an environmentally controversia1 and SIL project, and by comparing the SIL proposed economically depressed area of a Third World actions with the data of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, economy. where an almost identical salt production project Correspondence:Alfredo Ortega-Rubio, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Apartado Postal. # 128, La Paz, 23000, B.C.S. México. e-mail: [email protected] San Ignacio Lagoon salt production Ortega-Rubio et al. O P 40 Hm SCALE Figure 1 Location of the San Ignacio Lagoon and the proposed salt production project. Location of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon and the salt production project in operation since 1955 International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology San Ignacio Lapon salt production íhtega-Rubio et al. MATERIAL AND METHODS halophytic vegetation, including species such as Eriogonum intricatum and Muhlembergia parten; cover We gathered al1 the scientific published literature the remaining 5%. Such species are also widely concerning SIL and Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (OLL) distributed in the region (León de La Luz et al., and their surroundings. The main biological, 1991). The proposed ponds will be filled with ecological and socioeconomic charactenstics of seawater pumped from the Lagoon. The proposed the regions where both lagoons are located were project intends to insta11 eight water pumps in analyzed. It should be stressed that most of the the northern part of SIL, and pump approximately published literature on the environmental and 1 200 000 mSper day of the Lagoon seawater. biological aspects of the project region was the Marine water will slowly circulate from pond to work of scientists at our research centre, CIBNOR pond allowing evaporation by solar heating and (Arriaga and Castellanos, 1995; Breceda et al., air flow. It will need two years of slow evaporation 1995; Cancino and Ortega-Rubio, 1994; and movement of the water from pond to pond Castellanos and Ortega-Rubio, 1995; Castellanos until the original marine water arrives at the small et al, 1994a; 199413; Lluch et al., 1993; Maravilla, crystallization ponds where the salt will precipitate. 1991; Ortega and Arriaga, 1991a; 1991b; Ortega- The salt produced wíll be mechanically harvested Rubio and Castellanos-Vera, 1994; Ortega and and transported by a band conveyor system to a Castellanos, 1995; Ortega et al., 1988; 1989; 1990; pile near the coast for temporary storage. 1991; Sanabria et al, 1995). According to the proposal of the project (Ortega With al1 this information, and with the et al., 1994), the waste products after salt experience of the 20 years of professional work in harvesting, ('Amargos') the 'bitters', will be in the region, we proceed to review the main issues part used for table salt production and the remains that a large number of green organizations have will be disposed of in the open sea, at least 5 km claimed to be problems with the SIL salt from the coast line. Most the salt works around production project. We carefully weighed such the world dispose of their bitters directly into claims against the biological-ecological and coastal water, not in the open sea. socioeconomical data gathered. The approach Twenty-five kilometres north of the Lagoon was based on a solid biological-environmental mouth (Figure 1),a dock is to be constructed and background of the persons who were developing operated for the loading of the salt into large the analysis. According to Ewel (1993), such a vessels. To avoid dredging, the dock will be 2-km background, at least for conservation in tropical long to allow the docking of large ships. The first countries, is essential, because biologists more 200 m of the dock will consist of a solid stone than any other professional, understand the tight layer, and the remaining length, 1800 m, is interdependence between biological and proposed to be sustained by vertical piles placed environmental health. every 34 m. In the operation phase, only two vessel trips per week will account for al1 loading and transporting of the product to its final destination; thus heavy ship traflic is not to be expected. General aspects of the SIL salt The proposed SIL project (Ortega et al., 1994) includes the creation of 200 permanentjobs, the production project production of 7 000 000 t of salt per year and the The SIL salt production project consists of the generation of $100 000 000 every year. Of this modification of 24 000 ha of hypersaline soil to quantity, approximately 40% will be devoted to build shallow ponds 1-m deep. (Ortega et al., pay State and Federal taxes. There will be no new 1994). These 24 000 ha are located 2 to 5 km permanent human settlements produced by this from the SIL coastline. They are covered by project. The people hired for the SIL project will naturally impermeable hypersaline soil and are be living at Abreojos and San Ignacio, already called Eriales. These Eriales are almost devoid of established towns. any native flora and fauna (León de La Luz et al., Table 1 summarizes the main arguments against 1991).Almost 95% of the surface covered by the the SIL salt production project to date. The first Eriales is naked, impermeable soil. Herbal column presents the cons against the proposed IntemationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 157 San Ignacio Lagoon salt production Ortega-Rubio et al. Table 1 Main arguments against SIL salt production project and technical data gathered Apments against the Wosedproject Technical data Laguna San Ignacio Pumping 1.2 million cubic This huge quantity of water taken from the head metres per day from the of the Lagoon represents less than 0.3%of the Lagoon will change the water exchanged every day between the lagoon temperature and salinity of the and the open sea through the mouth of the San Ignacio Lagoon Lagoon (Lluch et aL, 1993) Pier Building a 2-km pier located Only 200 m of the pier are solid rock structures. 25 km north of San Ignacio Only 0.1% of the whales arriving to BCS will ever Lagoon will obstmct the swim near this proposed dock. After 44 years of movement of whaies coming operating ESSA 2 piers in the same region, inside the Lagoon. The ships monthly receiving 6 ships and 43 tugboats, there arriving at the pier could suffer has never been reported a large toxic spill. Aiong possible fue1 spills their route from Aiaska to BCS, the whales pass near important piers, both military and commercial, aiong the Pacific Coast of Canada and USA. Both countries plan to build new piers along these coasts in the following years Grey whale The project will severely affect Of about 30 000 grey whales living in the world, the grey whaies arriving every only 6000 arrive at Mexican lagoons (Maravilla, year at San Ignacio Lagoon. 1991). Of these, approximately 350 arrive every The project will preclude the year at San Ignacio (Maravilla, 1991). Most of the calving and mating of grey whales coming to México, 1200, come every year to whaies inside the Lagoon. The Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, where an identical sait local grey whaie population will production project has been operating for more be so affected that this will lead than 44 years. At Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, the whales to the extinction of this species arriving have been constantly increasing their numbers Biosphere reserve Because San Ignacio Lagoon is The Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve comprises aimost located in the Vizcaíno 3 million hectares.