Guarding Mexico’s blue frontiers: A conversation with Alejandro González

For nearly two decades, Alejandro González has stood on the front lines of marine conservation in Mexico, from the coral-fringed reefs of Cabo Pulmo to the remote volcanic outposts of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. A biologist by training and a park director by trade, González has built a career navigating the tension between ambition and reality—between vast declarations on paper and the gritty, day-to-day work of enforcement at sea.

“I fell in love with nature early on,” González says. “But as I studied more, I began to understand the ocean’s broader role in our lives… The more you understand the ocean, the more you realize how central it is to life on Earth.”

That realization would shape a trajectory that took him from a coastal resource advisor in Quintana Roo to leadership roles in three of Mexico’s most iconic marine protected areas (MPAs), culminating in his directorship of Revillagigedo National Park—the largest in the country, covering over 15 million hectares of ocean.

Revillagigedo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located hundreds of kilometers offshore, presented unusual challenges.

“It was a very particular case,” González recalls. “In Mexico, we don’t have many oceanic national parks.”

Isolated and under naval jurisdiction, operating in the archipelago required diplomacy as much as logistics. Establishing trust with the Mexican Navy was essential to enable joint enforcement, especially to curb illegal fishing and safeguard the park’s fragile ecosystems.

González’s tenure there was not limited to paperwork and meetings. He spent weeks aboard liveaboard vessels, patrolling the islands, monitoring biodiversity, and collaborating with tourist operators and NGOs on projects like the eradication of invasive species.

“You never really stopped working,” he says. “Our daily routines followed a military-style schedule.”

Today, González serves as the Director for Global Conservation in Mexico, where he’s helping to build a more resilient future for MPAs across the country. His focus has shifted from direct management to systemic support: securing financial continuity for park operations, deploying Marine Monitor (M2) radar systems, and helping government agencies modernize enforcement through Global Park Defense, a strategy that pairs technology with capacity-building.

One of the initiative’s current focal points is the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve, a sprawling no-take zone off the coast of Nayarit plagued by illegal fishing.

With partners like Pronatura Noroeste and CONANP, Global Conservation is strengthening marine protection through patrols, radar surveillance, and data standardization.

Still, González remains grounded in the communities that depend on these waters.

“In Baja, cartels are gaining control over fisheries, influencing pricing and distribution. That’s a serious threat.” he says, citing a growing challenge in Baja California. “We need to show that conservation and economic well-being can go hand in hand.”

What keeps him going is the hope that his young son might one day experience the ocean as he once did.

“That’s what drives me,” he says. “That my colleagues and I can achieve the goal of conserving the sea over the next 50 years—not just for scientists, or tourists, but for the people who call it home.”

An interview with Alejandro González

Mongabay: What is your name and job title?

Alejandro González: Hello, I’m Alejandro González. I’m the Director for Global Conservation in Mexico.

Mongabay: And previously, what did you do in the context of the Mexican government?

Alejandro González: I worked for the federal government for almost 14 years, starting in 2008 to 2021. I served as Director of three national parks in Mexico, with a focus on marine and coastal protected areas, including island and oceanic sites like the Islas Revillagigedo National Park.

Mongabay: So, 2008 was your first year in the government?

Alejandro González: Yes, that’s right.

Mongabay: Were you the director of all national parks in Mexico?

Alejandro González: No, I led specific parks. I was Director of Cabo Pulmo National Park for six years. After that, I directed Bahía de Loreto National Park, and finally, Revillagigedo National Park.

Three of the most beautiful marine protected areas in Mexico.

Mongabay: How did you first become interested in conservation?

Alejandro González: It started in my childhood. I spent a lot of time by the sea, and I fell in love with nature. As I grew older, I looked for ways to develop my skills and deepen my knowledge in the field. After completing my undergraduate studies, I began working in Quintana Roo as coastal resource management advisor.

Then, after earning my master’s degree, I applied for a position with the government and got my first job at Cabo Pulmo National Park. That marked the beginning of my career in conservation.

Mongabay: What specifically drew you to the sea? Was it the wildlife or something else?

Alejandro González: At first, it was certain species—dolphins, whales. But as I studied more, I began to understand the ocean’s broader role in our lives. The sea is one of the planet’s most important ecosystems. It provides oxygen, food, recreation, and even spiritual development. The more you understand the ocean, the more you realize how central it is to life on Earth.

Mongabay: When you were director in charge of Socorro Island—part of the Revillagigedo Archipelago—what was that experience like? Where did you live, and how often did you go to the islands? What were your responsibilities?

Alejandro González: It was a very particular case. In Mexico, we don’t have many oceanic national parks. There’s Guadalupe Island in the north and Chinchorro in the Caribbean, about 60 kilometers offshore. But Revillagigedo is over hundreds kilometers offshore. It’s a huge park—about 15 million hectares—so one of the main challenges was simply operating in such a remote location.

Another big task was building a respect-based and recognition relationship with the Navy. Since the islands are under Navy jurisdiction, entering their space as a civilian agency required a lot of diplomacy. Their perspective and way of working is very different from that of civilians. It was challenging to establish trust, but it was essential—especially to ensure joint enforcement and prevent illegal fishing within the park.

Equally, in order to operate the National Park and to ensure rangers presence in the field, the alliances were key to build collaboration and co-responsibilities. In this task, tourist operators (live aboard boats) played, and still, a fundamental role to support national park tasks such as: biological monitoring, surveillance, touristic activities supervision and eradication of invasive species (cats, rabbits, mice).

My experience was great! I was able to see one of most beautiful sites in Mexico, the islands let you breathless, with their volcanos, sea birds, and incredible marine biodiversity. It has been just one of my best experiences and responsibilities.

Mongabay: And so, in terms of your day-to-day—what did that look like?

Alejandro González: Well, we operated Revillagigedo from different points. We had an office in La Paz, a second one in Cabo San Lucas, and we also had to manage operations from Manzanillo, Colima.

A normal day, when we went into the field, started by taking a plane or boat to the islands. Once there, we would spend 10 days aboard a liveaboard vessel, supervising tourist operators, overseeing diving activities, and conducting biological monitoring. Then we’d return to port and follow with administrative tasks.

Sometimes we spent up to a month, even 40 days, on the island itself. We worked with NGOs on projects like eradicating invasive species—such as feral cats on Socorro Island—and dealing with soil erosion issues. We also coordinated closely with the Navy to improve communication and collaboration in detecting illegal vessels entering the park.

Our daily routines followed a military-style schedule. You had to wake up early, eat at specific times, go into the field, return to base, and then resume other activities. It was a challenge because, in the beginning, we didn’t have the infrastructure or equipment to move around the island easily. We had to bring everything—boats, trucks, equipment, gasoline, bikes, even motorcycles.

You never really stopped working. We were constantly patrolling—monitoring the island, checking for illegal fishing, and making sure everything was running properly, meetings with the commander of the island, and to attend common responsibilities together with the Mexican Navy.

Mongabay: And what were some of the biggest threats to conservation or species in this area?

Alejandro González: One of the main threats to marine protected areas is illegal fishing. Another is poorly regulated tourism. Tourism can be a great opportunity, but only if it’s managed well.

Of course, climate change is another major factor. It affects fish populations and oceanographic conditions that underpin marine life.

Mongabay: When you say illegal fishing, who was doing it?

Alejandro González: Both. For example, Clarion Island—the westernmost island in the archipelago—was regularly visited by members of a sport fishing association from San Diego. They used to fish even inside the national park. That’s no longer allowed, but it still happens.

We also track potential industrial fishing activity, especially right after the park was created. At first, boats operated openly in the park. But within two years, we saw a dramatic decrease—about 94–95%—in industrial fishing vessel tracks inside the protected area. So, the park is working.

Still, illegal fishing continues—from both domestic and foreign actors.

Mongabay: And when the San Diego fishers came in, they weren’t just entering a national park—they were entering Mexican waters, right? What happened when they were caught?

Alejandro González: When you’re on the high seas, enforcement becomes complicated, and compliance or prosecutions even more complicated. In Mexico, you need both a CONAPESCA fisheries officer and an environmental inspector from PROFEPA, the national environmental enforcement agency. You also need a Navy patrol vessel to stop and detain the boat. Without all three present, it’s very hard to take meaningful action or impose sanctions.

This remains a great challenge. The Navy often isn’t sure how to respond in these situations because they’re complex and they don’t always have the capacity to intercept the boats.

Mongabay: When did you become director?

Alejandro González: I was named Revillagigedo director about a year after the decree created the park in 2017. At that time, I was managing Bahía de Loreto National Park—, and managing both national parks for about three months before transitioning to Revillagigedo NP.

Mongabay: Why was Revillagigedo declared a national park?

Alejandro González: Mexico achieved the archipelago and was inscribed into the List of UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the requirements for that designation was to strengthen protection around the islands. So, the government consulted researchers, reviewed scientific data, and developed a proposal. Once everything was ready, the park was declared—becoming the largest national park in Mexico. But the main reason was to fulfill and go beyond the World Heritage Center’s requirements.

Mongabay: Beyond Socorro, what are some other challenges facing conservation?

Alejandro González: In Baja, there are many NGOs supporting conservation efforts in marine protected areas. That’s good news—but sometimes those NGOs don’t communicate with each other. One of the challenges is improving coordination among them and ensuring they align with the park director’s leadership, or with communities in the case of fishing communities. Without that, it’s like running a ship without a captain.

Leadership is critical. If the park director isn’t leading effectively, everything becomes fragmented and inefficient.

Another major challenge is the increasing involvement of criminal organizations into the fishing sector. In Baja, cartels are gaining control over fisheries, influencing pricing and distribution. That’s a serious threat.

At the community level, the challenge is helping fishers organize cooperatives so they can improve their income, quality of life, and long-term sustainability. We need to show that conservation and economic well-being can go hand in hand.

Mongabay: You mentioned the cartels—are they taking control of the actual fisheries?

Alejandro González: Yes, they’re influencing who buys and sells the fish, shellfish, shrimp, among others species, and at what price.

Mongabay: Over nearly 20 years of working in conservation, what changes have you seen in Mexico?

Alejandro González: The government needs to invest more in staffing and to assign optimal financial resources to MPAs protection. When I started to work in national parks, we had more experienced technical personnel. Over time, many of them left—either to NGOs or simply because they were fired, or didn’t like to news national directors, or couldn’t cope with the pressure. We’ve lost a lot of institutional knowledge and the opportunity to pass the baton and to form new rangers and managers.

Another change is an important recognition of the role of fishing communities, even in cities such as La Paz, Magdalena, Boca del Alamo, among many others, where community leaderships are taking place to defend their territories, including the natural capital that supports their livelihoods and to define how to progress and earn prosperity.

Mongabay: Would you say the situation for conservation is better now or was it better 15 years ago?

Alejandro González: It’s not better or worse—it’s different, and more challenging.

We’ve lost some things, like staff capacity, but gained others, like technological tools, social media, community and youth engagement, and international support. At the end of the day, though, the main responsibility for ensuring conservation and creating conditions to accomplish it lies in the government. Park managers are on the front lines, and they’re facing more complex challenges today than 20 years ago.

But there’s also more support and awareness now—from communities and from both national and international NGOs.

Mongabay: And with Global Conservation? What do you do now?

Alejandro González: At Global Conservation, we focus on complementing financial resources to national parks and facilitate them to operate consistently. We want to make sure park operations don’t grind to a halt just because a boat engine needs a $200 repair.

Throughout our Global Park Defense approach we’re introducing innovation and technology to make monitoring and enforcement easier and safer. For example, we´ve been deploying Marine Monitor systems along the eastern coast of Baja California Sur. We’re also working with tech-conservation partners to assist in systematizing and standardizing the data collection from the field. Therefore, we can compare what’s happening across different MPAs using the same metrics.

In addition, we provide expertise and knowledge—helping park staff learn how to use and adopt technology effectively in order to strengthen internal capacity, including soft skills. Right now, we’re working with several protected areas: from Loreto National Park and the fishing refugia corridor between Loreto and La Paz, to Isla Marías, and soon in Islote El Pardito, Espíritu Santo, Baja California Sur, near La Paz. We’re applying the same strategy—Global Park Defense—using Marine Monitor technology and working closely with local partners.

An important part of our collaboration with governmental agencies has been the strengthening of the marine protection actions in the field, increasing the number of patrols marine and terrestrial, especially with CONANP, SEMAR and the CONAPESCA. This collaboration has resulted in a permanent presence in the field, interceptions and detention of illegal fisherman, product retained and illegal fishing gears seized.

Mongabay: So, a lot of work in the Sea of Cortez?

Alejandro González: Yes, a lot of work.

Mongabay: And are you doing anything in the Socorro area?

Alejandro González: No, not at the moment. We’re not currently active in Socorro.

Mongabay: Can you go into more detail on how you are using technology?

Alejandro González: In Islas Marías, we’re deploying Global Park Defense to strengthen marine protection across the entire Biosphere Reserve. This is a vast, remote area—over 640,000 hectares—so technology plays a central role in detection and enforcement. Together with CONANP, the Mexican Navy, and our local partner Pronatura Noroeste, we’ve installed a Marine Monitor (M2) radar system to track vessels in real time. This is integrated with EarthRanger, which helps coordinate patrols and compile data for strategic planning. We also use long-range cameras, AIS antennas, and satellite vessel tracking through Skylight, supported by ProtectedSeas. This combination gives authorities a full picture of what’s happening in the reserve—even in hard-to-reach zones.

This past July, the system helped detect two poacher pangas near Isla San Juanito. Within minutes, the Navy intercepted the vessels, seized illegal longlines and nets, and began legal proceedings. That operation wouldn’t have been possible without these tools. We’re also training rangers and Navy personnel on using these platforms so they can respond swiftly and effectively. Ultimately, the goal is to build local capacity and ensure that illegal fishing becomes the exception—not the norm.

Mongabay: What gives you hope?

Alejandro González: Hope—for conservation? That’s a good question.

My greatest hope, and the main reason I’m still working in this field, is to make it possible for my son to see what I saw in Cabo Pulmo and Loreto. That’s what drives me.

I hope the current and next generation of conservation practitioners truly experience the field—not just from behind a camera or desk. You have to work alongside the rangers, with local communities, and also know how to engage with authorities—whether they’re from the municipal, state, or federal level. That’s what gives me hope: that my colleagues and I can achieve the goal of conserving the sea over the next 50 years—not just for scientists, or tourists, but for the people who call it home.

Mongabay: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Alejandro González: Yes. Study and make you research. You have to read, write, and be able to organize your ideas and proposals clearly.

A great way to build these skills is by volunteering—spend time in MPAs, in local communities. That will help you develop a sense of connection and belonging to the place and its conservation mission.

Mongabay: And what’s your favorite place to visit or spend time?

Alejandro González: There are so many beautiful places in Mexico, especially in Baja. I love walking by the sea in La Paz and Loreto—it’s stunning.

One of my favorites is Catalina Island, near Loreto. It’s like a natural garden under the sea—truly beautiful.

Credits

Rhett Butler Editor

This story first appeared on Mongabay

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