Depredation and Ecotourism. Realities of the Service Workers at the Biosphere Reserve Ria Celestun, Yucatan

Abstract

Trough this study we make known the ecotourism services providers (boatmen) and a public officer perception towards the impact of ecotourism programs implemented by the federal government on their living conditions, on an individual and a social level. This research was made through the political ecology approach and semi-structured interviews in order to obtain information. On the results stand out the idea that local population participation is not contemplated on the elaboration of federal programs focused on ecotourism, wasting therefore local knowledge; it also stands out the perception that these programs haven’t impacted the reserve population life conditions on a positive way, and that on the contrary, public federal servers have encouraged and participated in ilegal practices such as sea cucumber fishing among state government workers and the local population.