Livelihoods and economies

en español

This goal measures jobs and revenue from sustainable marine-related industries.

CORE DEFINITIONS

  • Overall Goal: Measures jobs and revenue from sustainable marine-related industries
  • Two Subgoals:
    • Livelihoods: Quality and quantity of jobs
      • Focus: Marine-related jobs
      • Example Industries: Commercial fishing, mariculture, tourism and recreation, whale watching, etc
    • Economies: Amount of revenue produced
      • Focus: Revenue for all coastal regions from marine-related sectors
      • Coverage: Both direct and indirect marine industry connections

Key Questions

Livelihoods

There is a quantity and quality aspect to this goal, typically. Is there anything important to analyze apart from the quantity and quality of marine jobs?

  • How (ideally) do we measure the quantity and quality of people’s marine-related jobs?
    • How do we define the reference point?
    • How do we incorporate sustainability into the assessment?

Economies

What are some important marine-sector industries within the Gulf that come to mind?

  • How (ideally) do we measure the revenue of these sectors?
    • How do we define the reference point?
    • How do we incorporate sustainability into the assessment?

Goalkeeper Meetings

Meeting Access

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3255055973

Key Team Members
  • Adrian Munguia
  • Amy Hudson Weaver
  • Fernando Aranceta
  • Francisco Fernandez
  • Geovanni Coredero Herrera
  • Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna
  • Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez
  • Mar Mancha-Cisneros
  • Marlu Robledo
  • Micheline Cariño Olvera
  • Michelle MarĂ­a Early Capistrán
  • Miguel Betancourt
Meeting Schedule (Friday 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT)
Meeting Specific Date Focus
1 August 8, 2025 Group introductions, OHI platform overview, goal calculations
2 September 5, 2025 Model and reference point discussion
3 October 3, 2025 Model, reference point, and data sources
4 November 7, 2025 Preliminary results and pressure/resilience
5 January 2026 Final analysis plan review
Co-authorship Information

This project provides opportunities to collaborate with regional experts and contribute to Gulf of California OHI assessment. Participation will be acknowledged on the website and other products. Additional co-authorship opportunities may be available with extra commitment as outlined here.

Google Calendar

Add the shared calendar to your Google Calendar account using the provided link. It will appear under “Other calendars” and provide access to all scheduled meetings with updated Zoom links.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to working on this initiative with you!

  • LE Goalkeeper Ideas, where you can add your thoughts, ideas, and potential data sources to the ongoing collaborative document.


Meeting Summaries

Thank you for joining our first Livelihoods & Economies Goalkeeper meeting!
It was a great start to our work together in defining coastal livelihoods and economies for the Gulf of California, and how it should be integrated into this assessment.

Meeting Recap

During our discussion, the group came to the conclusion that incorporating both Livelihoods and Economies as subgoals is very important for the Gulf of California. This agreement allowed us to move into defining important direct and indirect coastal and marine-related sectors in the Gulf, as well as beginning to consider how to measure, categorize, and assess them.

The group discussed experiences from previous work in Mexico, including the use of surveys and household-level data (e.g., from INEGI and other organizations) to quantify livelihoods and employment. It was noted that the diversity of jobs in the Gulf requires considering the different contexts across the states that compose the region.

Sectors mentioned included:

  • Commercial fishing

    • Artisanal fishing
    • Subsistence fishing (the portion that is also sold, providing a livelihood)
    • Industrial fishing (e.g., shrimp, tuna)
    • Recreational fishing (sport fishing, such as tour operators for visitors who fish; in some locations this may be more economically important than scuba diving)

  • Tourism/Recreation

    • Jobs that provide activities and experiences in the Gulf
    • Jobs and revenue produced due to people visiting the Gulf
    • Debate on whether certain jobs, such as hotel work, should be considered under marine-related tourism, particularly when they may generate revenue but could also have negative effects on local access to resources

  • Ecotourism

    • e.g., tours, whale watching, scuba diving, etc.

  • Aquaculture/Mariculture

  • Other possible sectors

    • Renewable/tidal energy
    • Salt extraction (though data may be challenging to find, particularly for small-scale operations)
    • Organized crime (noting its complex role in some coastal communities — employing individuals and generating revenue, but also deterring fishing activities)
Sectors to discuss:
  • Shipping and/or ships
  • Ports
Data and measurement considerations:

Participants agreed to focus on identifying relevant job sectors, finding data on the number of jobs, their quality, and revenue associated with them. This includes considering:

  • Sustainability metrics — Where is the revenue coming from, and to whom/where is it going?
  • Local vs. external investment
  • Scale of business operations (small-scale, artisanal vs. industrial)
  • Adaptive behavioral changes of fishermen as job availabilities shift due to climate change
  • Defining job quality — Is it the number of workers with benefits? In fisheries, how many have legal permits to fish? How many dependents are in each household?

The group acknowledged the challenges of quantifying small-scale operations and the lack of contextualized data for certain sectors, and emphasized the importance of identifying these data gaps to integrate them into the ideal goal model.

Next steps

More topics to think about before our next meeting:

  • What is the ideal state of livelihoods and economies for the Gulf of California?
  • What could be potential indicators for measuring job number, quality, and revenue?
  • Should a potential reference point be a temporal baseline?

Thank you all, and see you next meeting (see the LE Goalkeeper Group Information: who, what, when, where, why! tab at the top of the page for more information)!

Thank you to everyone who joined our second Livelihoods & Economies Goalkeeper meeting!
This session included discussions on what the LE goal means and which sectors it should cover.

Meeting Recap

All in all, we focused on three core topics:

  1. LE Goal Definition
    We confirmed the Gulf of California LE goal measures jobs and revenue from marine-related industries, split into:

    • Livelihoods: quantity and quality of ocean-related jobs (ideal state → more, higher-quality jobs).
    • Economies: revenue from all coastal regions tied to marine sectors (ideal state → equitable revenue growth).

  2. Targets (“Ideal States”)
    The group reaffirmed that the goal should envision thriving, sustainable livelihoods and economies, not just higher numbers.

  3. Sustainability & Sector Inclusion
    After debate, we chose not to restrict the goal to “only sustainable sectors.”
    Instead, we will:

    • Include all major marine and Gulf-relevant sectors (even those not fully reliant on a healthy ocean, such as shipping/ports or renewable energy).
    • Apply a sustainability factor to capture ecological footprint and social equity (management quality, local hiring, etc.).
      Rationale: omitting ports or energy would under-represent real economic activity and limit the Ocean Health Index’s Action pillar from targeting needed improvements. For example, if ports have strong laws but weak management, the GoC OHI can identify that gap and spur reforms.

Sectors to be included

  • Shipping & ports: retained for jobs & revenue, while acknowledging ballast water, invasive species, and pollution as pressures to be handled separately.

  • Renewable/tidal energy: not large today, but the SecretarĂ­a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturale aims to move what is currently a potential into a reality.

  • Salt extraction: this likely fits better under Natural Products; final placement will depend on available datasets.

  • Research & science: the group agreed we should include this sector for livelihoods (scientist jobs, local services) and potentially economies if we can quantify value added through:

    • Aquariums and nature-based tourism
    • Conservation-linked outreach or “science tourism”
    • Regional economic activity linked to research stations

  • Other pre-established sectors from Meeting #1 (commercial fishing (industrial, artisanal, etc), tourism and recreation, ecotourism, aquaculture/mariculture) remain included.

Table of agreed sectors (working list)

The idea is that for each of these sectors, we will be considering its livelihoods (number of jobs, their quality) and economy (revenue from that sector).

Sector / Industry Key Notes
Commercial Fishing (Artisanal) Long-standing livelihood; culturally & economically vital; dependent on local marine resources.
Commercial Fishing (Subsistence) Provides household food security; surplus generates modest income.
Commercial Fishing (Industrial) Major driver for shrimp, tuna & other export species; broad market reach.
Recreational / Sport Fishing Significant tourism draw; tour operators generate local jobs; sometimes surpasses diving in value.
Tourism / Recreation Broad visitor employment & revenue (guiding, hospitality, transport); affects local resource access.
Ecotourism Focused on wildlife & ecosystem experiences (whale watching, seabird tours, scuba, kayaking).
Aquaculture / Mariculture Expanding sector; regenerative aquaculture hubs (e.g., La Paz); stable, year-round employment potential.
Shipping / Ports Substantial employment & trade; requires careful management of ballast water, emissions & habitat pressures.
Renewable / Tidal Energy Minimal activity now; possible increase in the future.
Natural Products / Salt Extraction Historically important, now largely artisanal; includes collagen from fish scales, sea cucumbers for medicinal uses, salt mining, etc.
Research & Ocean Education Science & education jobs, local service demand; resilience value via knowledge generation.

OHI Core team strategy before the next meeting

The group identified INEGI’s National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE) as the most promising starting point for quantifying both job numbers and job quality across sectors. Sophia will begin by classifying the specific occupation types available in ENOE into the sectors our group has agreed upon. She will also explore which ENOE variables can serve as indicators of job quality — for example, benefits, employment stability, or contract type — and start investigating potential approaches to estimate sector revenue.

In the coming weeks, please share any additional datasets or resources that might provide insight on employment, revenue, or sustainability metrics so they can be incorporated into our shared analysis!

Next Steps

We’ll reconvene for Meeting #3 on October 3 to refine indicators and explore initial ENOE results.

Thank you all for helping sharpen the vision for Livelihoods & Economies in the Gulf of California!

During our group activity for the Livelihoods & Economies (LE) goal, we focused on identifying revenue data sources and possible benchmarks across marine-related sectors in the Gulf of California.

We noted that Livelihoods indicators are largely covered by INEGI’s ENOE survey, which already provides strong coverage of employment, income, and job quality. For Recreational Fishing and Ecotourism, however, we will need creative approaches to complement ENOE.

Key points from the discussion included:

  • Industrial & Artisanal Commercial Fishing:
    Revenue data are available from CONAPESCA landings records, with possible indicators including landed value, vessel counts, and CPUE. Specific ideas include revenue per unit effort or MSY-based reference points (BMSY * price).

  • Recreational/Sports Fishing:
    Limited data exist, but sportfishing permits (available since 2009) provide one time series. Additional sources include port captaincy directories (by state) and literature on tourism-based sportfishing. Revenue may be approximated using permits sold, right fees, or estimates from tourism activity in key locations such as La Paz,Los Cabos, San Felipe, Puerto Peñasco, Guaymas, and Loreto.

  • Tourism:
    Possible sources include INEGI’s PIB Turístico (tourism GDP), Datatur hotel occupancy, and Mexico’s Non-Resident Duty (DNR), a federal fee collected from cruise ship passengers and land/sea tourists. There are government reference points from Plan México:

    • Increase Mexico’s tourism GDP by 9%.
    • Increase DNR revenue collection by 40.5%.
      These reference points could provide useful targets for revenue indicators.

  • Ecotourism:
    Most ecotourism focuses on protected areas, where CONANP offices maintain entrance fee records (cobro de derechos). These fees can be requested through the Transparency Platform or directly from CONANP directors. Reference points could include maximum visitation limits or total entrance fee revenue as a proxy for activity levels.

  • Aquaculture & Mariculture:
    Sources include CONAPESCA’s aquaculture diagnostics and state aquaculture health committees (e.g., shrimp, oysters). Because sustainability practices affect yields, profits or revenue adjusted for sustainable practices may serve as better indicators.

  • Renewable Energy:
    The National Atlas of Areas with High Clean Energy Potential (SENER) shows high tidal/wave energy potential between Sinaloa and Baja California Sur. The OHI Core Team will continue searching for revenue data on renewable resource industries to evaluate whether these can be included in the LE framework.

  • Natural Products & Salt:
    Revenue streams may include algae, fisheries residues, pearls, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, aquarium trade species, biofuels, and traditional products (e.g., totoaba, peyote, mangroves). Salt extraction data are available in the Statistical Yearbook of Mexican Mining, which reports by municipality (volume, not value). If questions arise, the group suggested we could reach out to the AsociaciĂłn Mexicana de la Industria Salinera for clarification.

  • Shipping & Ports:
    CapitanĂ­as de Puerto (under SICT) regulate vessel registries for commercial vs. recreational fleets. Every vessel must be registered with the SecretarĂ­a de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT), making this an important source for shipping/port-related revenue indicators.

  • Research & Ocean Education:
    Indicators could include the number of marine researchers registered in the National System for Researchers (SNI) and the number of accredited science and education institutions in RENIECYT.

Overall, the group agreed that the next step is to refine revenue and job indicators across these sectors and align them with feasible reference points. This will ensure that the LE goal reflects both the scale of marine-related economic activity and its sustainability in the Gulf of California.

NEXT STEPS

  • Review job occupations and their related sectors/industries, here.
  • Review the possible job quality metrics, here.
  • Continue searching for revenue data for renewable energy.

Thank you all for your thoughtful input! These notes will guide us as we build out the LE goal.

Thank you to everyone who joined the Livelihoods & Economies (LE) Goalkeeper Meeting #4. In this session, we reviewed progress across the Livelihoods and Economies subgoals, clarified the model structure, compared data sources, and discussed metrics for jobs, job quality, and revenue.

If you could not attend, please take a look at the updated slides for details and examples.

Meeting #4 Slides

Meeting Recap

1. Review of LE Goal Structure

We revisited the definition of the LE goal, which consists of two subgoals:

  • Livelihoods
    • Quantity and quality of marine-related jobs
    • Target: jobs are stable or increasing, and job quality is maintained or improved
  • Economies
    • Revenue from marine-related sectors
    • Target: revenue is maintained or increases in the future

We also reaffirmed why all major Gulf-relevant sectors are included (ports, energy, tourism, fishing, seafood processing, research, etc.):
Excluding major economic sectors would underrepresent real regional economic activity and limit the OHI’s ability to identify needed improvements. A sustainability multiplier will help account for ecological footprint and social equity differences across sectors.

2. Livelihoods: Number of Jobs

We reviewed how the model calculates current status for job quantity:

  1. Standardize jobs by coastal population:
    current = jobs / coastal population

  2. Determine the baseline:

    • If a sector has a government target, the baseline reflects that goal (e.g., a 27% employment increase for tourism by 2030).
    • If no target exists, we use a historical reference point (example discussed: 2018 jobs per coastal population).

  3. Current status = current / baseline, where a value ≥ 1 earns a score of 100.

We also reviewed which sectors do and do not have official government employment targets.

3. Livelihoods: Job Quality

We discussed how job quality will be measured using remuneration components from SAIC, including:

  • Salaries to operational staff (J010A)
  • Salaries to administrative/management staff (J203A)
  • Employer social security contributions (J300A)
  • Other benefits (J400A)
  • Profit-sharing (J500A)
  • Compensation/settlements (J600A)

Current status is calculated as:

current = (current average remunerations for that sector / total municipal remuneration)
baseline = target-based or from 2018 values, depending on data availability.

As with jobs, a score ≥ 1 corresponds to status of 100.

5. SAIC vs ENOE: Data Source Comparison

We compared the strengths and limitations of SAIC and ENOE:

  • SAIC
    • Includes job numbers, job quality, and revenue
    • Some data may be suppressed for confidentiality
    • Available every 5 years
  • ENOE
    • Includes job numbers and job quality
    • Raw household survey data
    • No revenue data
    • Available quarterly

Working plan:

For Fisheries and Aquaculture, look at the number of BIENPESCA beneficiaries, vessels permitted, and CONAPESCA data. Use whichever one results in the most accurate number. This is because many individuals are not on a payroll.

For all others: - Use SAIC as the primary source for jobs, job quality, and revenue.
- Use ENOE to gapfill sectors where SAIC has missing or suppressed values.

6. Looking Ahead: Sustainability

We briefly revisited the discussion on potential sustainability multipliers, applied by sector:

  • More sustainable sectors → higher multiplier (increasing final score)
  • Less sustainable sectors → lower multiplier

Participants are invited to provide ideas or alternative approaches.

Next Steps

  • Review the slides and send any comments or questions.
  • Begin developing reference points for revenue and job quality.
  • Continue evaluating the SAIC and ENOE datasets.
  • January Meeting (#5) will review preliminary scores for:
    • Livelihoods (jobs + job quality)
    • Economies (revenue)
    • Sustainability (if applicable)

Thank you for your contributions and thoughtful discussion!

Stay tuned for Meeting #5 resources.

Additional Insights & Examples

These are some of the points discussed by the Expert Working Group (EWG).

  • The group discussed how to measure jobs and revenue from sustainable, marine-related industries, focusing on both the number/quality of jobs (Livelihoods) and economic output (Economies).
  • Main livelihoods sectors identified: fishing, mariculture, tourism/ecotourism, recreation, and more.
  • Major challenges flagged:
    • Organized crime in fisheries is a significant threat, affecting security, job numbers, and potentially forcing diversification.
    • Job security issues: Workers face risks like bribes, possible forced relocation, and lack of long-term benefits, pushing some out of fishing for more secure jobs elsewhere.
    • Debate over job quantity vs. quality: rise in fisher numbers may be positive for livelihoods but may not address poverty or job sustainability.
    • Government subsidies play a big role; all fishers receive payments, with notable political dynamics (e.g., vote buying).
    • Interest in adding gender equality as a key indicator.
    • Need to make sustainability an explicit sub-goal.
  • For the Economies subgoal:
    • Emphasis on capturing both direct and indirect revenue from marine sectors.
    • Identified a need to map and include research institutes, universities, and NGOs operating in the region.
    • Proposed using improved data sources (e.g., business registries, household surveys) for more accurate measurement.
    • Marine infrastructure projects (e.g., underwater gas lines) are seen as added pressures.
  • Mexico’s broader economic context was noted: there is a current recession phase, yet it has a high ranking in the World Happiness Report.

Nearly all assessments include one or both of these subgoals.

Typically, a high score is obtained when livelihoods and economies remain constant or improve (a temporal reference point).

For livelihoods, there have been several approaches to measuring job quality.

Some assessments include industries that do not require a healthy ocean (e.g., wind energy, shipping, etc.), others have excluded these.

A constant challenge is determining how to count jobs that are indirectly supported by marine industries (e.g., manufacture of fishing gear, etc.)

Contact via email:

OHI Core Analytical Team Livelihoods & Economies Goalkeeper Group