APTITUD DE CONSERVACIÓN AMBIENTAL Y ESTIMACIÓN ECONÓMICA DE OLAS PARA LA PRÁCTICA DEPORTIVA

CASO BOCA DE PASCUALES, MÉXICO

Abstract

Through an interdisciplinary research we demonstrated the relevance of waves (tube type and sand break), surfing and environmental quality in Boca de Pascuales, Mexico. The place is visited by foreigners, local and national visitors, which implies costs for transportation, food, lodging and the repair of surfing equipment. The willingness to pay (WTP) to maintain and improve the conditions of the site (41%) was related to a sense of belonging by local visitors, and a sense of legacy by foreign visitors. The WTP for foreign was $ 7.4 USD and for national visitors it was $ 3.6 USD. The Environmental and Sustainability Index for Surf Resources revealed that beach users perceive poor water quality related to the presence of odors, lack of infrastructure and cleanliness. This is confirmed by local enterococcal reports that indicate NMP values above technical standards. However, visitors mentioned that they like the rural aspect of the site. Despite this problem, the wave quality and load capacity indicators showed that this beach has a high conservation capacity. The information obtained in this work highlights the importance of waves and surfing for coastal communities and the need to make decisions and actions aimed at improving the environmental conditions on the beach and the conditions of the waves.