The Fishing and Oil Industries in Coexistence

The fishing and oil activities of the southeastern Gulf of Mexico face multiple socioeconomic and political tensions amidst a sea of economic, ecological, and geophysical challenges. The fisheries and oil industry are central to Mexico’s food and energy agendas, and their complex and dynamic coexistence could be addressed through a comprehensive book, combining studies from different disciplines that help understand the pros and cons of this intricate interaction.

This contributed volume offers readers the findings of several studies that explain how two conflicting productive actives have cooccurred in the same territory for over 50 years and how that interaction has been managed according to interests affecting environmental resources and sociocultural dynamics. The studies presented here were conducted in the Gulf of Mexico coastal zone of the states of Tabasco and Campeche, in Mexico. Historically, this region has been utilized for fishing and, from the 1970s, for oil and gas production. A significant part of Mexico’s GDP is obtained from this region, so the national government and international oil companies have strong economic interests.

The book provides an understanding the region's historical context, the positive and negative changes observed in socio-ecological systems, and some methodology suggestions addressed by sustainability science and principles to facilitate coexistence. Supported by the social-ecological systems (SES) theory, this outstanding collection of chapters analyses the conflicts and alternatives of progression toward a sustainable coexistence of both industries.