Employment Alternatives

Employment alternatives

At San Ignacio Lagoon 

By Lorna Hill

March 4, 2019

Many people ask what the local people do for employment once the whales have gone. Most of the people resume to fishing however another strong form of employment is the oyster farm. The Japanese oyster Crassostrea giga is grown right here in San Ignacio Lagoon on an oyster farm called Sol Azul.

Sol Azul leads sustainable, year round, oyster production in Baja California, Mexico. They proudly produce the finest and freshest organic oysters available anywhere and meet the toughest standards of quality.

Sol Azul seeks to contribute to the holistic development of our region and, especially, to make aquaculture production compatible with the goals of the Biosphere Reserve of El Vizcaino….to protect the environment while carrying out productive activities. To achieve this, Sol Azul works in close collaboration with various local and international NGO’s with the purpose of protecting the region’s natural heritage, while simultaneously promoting the sustainable development of the local communities.

The techniques and facilities for shellfish aquaculture employed by Sol Azul are of very low impact to the environment. Oysters feed exclusively on the abundant natural phytoplankton, avoiding any artificial feeds or chemical products that could affect the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

The development of commercial aquaculture in this region is vital to reduce pressure on natural resources characteristic of extractive fisheries, particularly when practiced indiscriminately to the point of over-exploitation, as is presently the case along various regions of the Pacific coast of Mexico. Several important commercial species are being seriously overfished, such as: abalone, scallops, and clams. Sol Azul oysters provide a sustainable alternative and help provide employment alternatives for fishermen.