WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2016 37 Ensenada, CREMES in Bahia Kino, and EOF in La Paz) producing juveniles from wild-caught brood stock. In the last few years, these hatcheries have released thousands of totoaba juveniles to the Sea of Cortez. The most recent release, done by EOF at Bahia Concepcion in August 2016 (White 2016), consisted of 15,000 individuals with an average weight of 15 g. Totoaba hatcheries should increase cooperation to include exchanges of germplasm and coordinated breeding plans to minimize inbreeding. A scientific advisory board could coordinate breeding plans and release strategies such as the magnitude, location, size, season, and conditioning methods used to maximize behavioral adaptation and survival of releases to the wild. Areas and seasons for release should be investigated. The species’ response to the reversion of salinity in the Colorado River delta has not been documented, but reproduction continues to occur, either at the high salinities now characteristic of the area, and/or at lower salinities present in other estuaries. An argument can be made to stock juveniles in areas such as the Fuerte River estuary, where totoaba are known to exist and could be using as a nursery, or in other similar areas. Notable progress has been achieved using techniques from molecular biology to genotype hatchery broodstock, their progeny, and the wild population (Garcia de Leon et al. 2010). These techniques could help guide a restocking program by estimating consanguinity and ascertaining parentage. Finally, genetic management and restocking strategies have been developed for the white seabass enhancement program that Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute manages in California (Gruenthal and Drawbridge 2012), which could be adapted and expanded to apply to a world-class totoaba restocking program. The Future Totoaba is very well-suited for aquaculture. Farming of this species can contribute to food production, socioeconomic development, and reduction of fishing pressure on the wild stock. Totoaba aquaculture has the potential to become an important aquaculture industry in the Sea of Cortez. In time, totoaba could also become a culture-enhanced fishery, much like salmon in Alaska. Because of their endangered status, totoaba are regulated in Mexico mainly by environmental rather than fisheries authorities. Because it has evolved into an emerging aquaculture species before regulation has had a chance to catch up, totoaba aquaculture is operating under old legislation that did not anticipate farming an endangered fish and thus does not directly apply. Consequently totoaba aquaculture is constrained by regulations originally intended to apply to the management of endangered terrestrial species on game-hunting ranches. The permit to culture totoaba in an aquaculture facility applies to an environmental management unit, where an endangered species is managed for conservation and exploitation. The harvest permit is granted for a pre-determined number of animals, consistent with the sustainable yield from the unit. The permit to sell the harvest originates from the first time animals are sold from an environmental management unit (hatchery or farm) and extends through production and sales channels to the final buyer. Applying these regulations to fish farming has not been straightforward and their interpretation has been discretionary. Regulatory certainty and consistency are needed if totoaba aquaculture is to become a source of prosperity. On the other hand, effective mechanisms are also needed to ensure that farming is not used to market illegal wild-caught totoaba, further depleting their population. Such mechanisms can include rigorous traceability, tagging and/or marking methods to distinguish wild from farmed fish, and marketing and educational programs. Coastal settlements around the northern Sea of Cortez lag behind other areas of Mexico in development and lack basic services and infrastructure. Fishing constitutes the main means of subsistence in these communities. To have such a valuable, renewable natural resource as the totoaba in the area points to an opportunity and a moral imperative to rebuild and manage a sustainable fishery to improve the local economy. Such an opportunity should not be wasted and could be combined with developing related industries such as aquaculture, high-value sport fishing, and nature- or adventure-focused tourism. The totoaba is a unique and emblematic fish that should be protected and utilized to its full and sustainable potential for the benefit of local communities through fisheries and aquaculture. We envision a future in which exemplary enforcement of regulations and restoration of habitats turns the current situation into a success story of stock rehabilitation and fisheries management. Aquaculture can play a part in this future by producing juveniles for restocking using current guidelines for responsible fisheries enhancement. Aquaculture has an important role in promoting conservation, sustainable development, and food security through production of juveniles for fisheries enhancement and for the production of food fish and swim bladders for national and export markets. Any such program will require regulators, environmental organizations, fishermen, private industry, academics and the local population to work together for the common good. Notes Lorenzo M. Juarez, Baja Aquaculture, Inc., 14 Maine Street, Suite 104, Box 53, Brunswick, ME, 04011 USA. lorenzojuarez@yahoo. com (corresponding author) Pablo A. Konietzko, Earth Ocean Farms, LLC., Avenida Álvaro Obregón Núm. 720 Local 8, Colonia El Esterito, C.P. 23020, La Paz, B.C.S. México. Michael H. Schwarz, Virginia Tech: Virginia Seafood AREC, 102 South King Street. Hampton, Virginia. 23669. USA. The authors thank Michael Rubino and Conal True for critical review of this article. References Alles, D.L. 2012. The delta of the Colorado River. Western Washington University. www.biol.wwu.edu/trent/alles/TheDelta. pdf Bahre, C.J., L. Bourillon and J. Torre. 2000. The Seri and commercial totoaba fishing (1930-1965). Journal of the Southwest 42:559-575. Berdegue, A.J. 1955. La pesquería de la totoaba (Cynoscion macdonaldi Gilbert) en San Felipe, Baja California. Revista de la Sociedad Mexicana de Historia Natural 16:45-68. Blankenship, H.L. and K.M. Leber. 1995. A responsible approach to marine stock enhancement. American Fisheries Society Symposium 15:67-175. Cisneros-Mata, M.A., G. Montemayor-Lopez and M.J. Roman- (CONTINUED ON PAGE 38)
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