The surface area of ​​the monarch butterfly in Mexico falls by 59.3% compared to 2023

The surface that monarch butterfly occupied this winter season 2023-2024 in Mexico It was 0.9 hectares, which means a drop of 59.3% compared to what it occupied in 2023, as noted this Wednesday by the General Director of Conservation, Gloria Tavera.

At a press conference at the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), the report detailing the monitoring of the endangered specie during your stay at Mexicoprepared in collaboration with the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF, in English).

“This season (…) 2023-2024 we have an occupied area of ​​0.9 hectares“said the director, who pointed out the decrease of 59.3% compared to the previous year’s data, when this species It occupied 2.21 hectares in Mexico.

Similar figures were recorded in the 2013-2014 season, with 0.67 hectares occupied by the monarch butterflywhich meant the “most critical year” for the pollinator, in the words of the owner of ConanpHumberto Adán Peña.

These pollinators migrate from Canada and USA until Mexicowhere they arrive in November and remain until approximately March of each year, a migratory phenomenon that was designated in 2008 as World Heritage of Humanity.

In Mexicothe monarch butterfliesknown for the bright orange color of their wings, crossed by black veins and embodied with small white spots on their edges, remain in the mountainous forests of the central states of Michoacán and the State of Mexico.

This year, the largest colonies were detected outside the Biosphere Reserve Monarch Butterfly (RBMM), located in Michoacán, which means, for public organizations, how necessary it is to take care of this environment as those classified as Protected Natural Areas of the Monarca Region.

Three great causes

Tavera pointed out the three main causes of this decline, whose influence on the species “has increased” over the years.

“They have a lot to do with him climate change“, he warned, since the drought and high temperatures in the reproductive habitats of the monarch butterflylocated in Canada and USAhave altered their migratory flow.

He highlighted the damage that the use of herbicides and chemical pesticides is causing in the monarchboth because they cause a “habitat decline” and because they make pollinators sick.

The director also mentioned the degradation suffered by the hibernation spaces of the butterfly due to drought and water stress.

Given this x-ray, Peña stressed the importance of joint work in the North American region, made up of Canada, USA and Mexicoand encouraged them to update current action plans under a “North American protection policy” of the monarch butterfly.

He asked to take measures regarding the use of chemical substances in agriculture, something that has already been done in Mexico in 2020 via presidential decree, as well as monitoring the impact of the climate crisis on the entire migratory path of the butterfly.

Finally, the representatives of USA and of Canada They were hopeful despite the current figures, because they detect a conservation effort “enormous” between society and public organizations.

This optimism was also shared by Peña, who saw it possible to reach the commitment of having six hectares occupied by the monarch butterfly thanks to the measures with which they are going to “commit” North American countries.