The Mexican government wants the nation to achieve self-sufficiency in tilapia production by 2030 as part of its growing commitment to aquaculture for food production.
"Today, a very important part of the future of food production – both fish and seafood – lies in aquaculture. That's where we have to make a strong commitment," Mexico Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Julio Berdegué Sacristán said in a release.
According to the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) – Mexico’s main government regulator for fisheries – more than half of the 81,000 aquaculture professionals in the country are engaged in tilapia production. Mexico’s tilapia sector reached a production value of MXN 2.7 billion (USD 142 million, EUR 120 million) in 2024, Conapesca said.
Berdegué Sacristán inaugurated a forum titled "The Future of Tilapia in Mexico" in June to highlight the importance of the species to Mexico. Berdegué Sacristán said the government’s goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in tilapia production by 2030.
“Achieving national self-sufficiency in tilapia by 2030 is a major challenge. The first goal is to produce very efficiently,” Berdegué Sacristán said. "There is a commitment from the Ministry of Agriculture, under instructions from the president of Mexico, to pay attention to fishing and aquaculture.”
Berdegué Sacristán said Mexico’s government would strengthen collaboration between the tilapia sector and public institutions. For example, the Ministry of Energy will use the Electric Energy Savings Trust Fund to support the fisheries and aquaculture industry.
The Mexican government used The Future of Tilapia in Mexico forum to hear directly from tilapia producers and specialists about how to grow the sector in the country.
“You can count on Conapesca; we will be working together toward this common goal of food security and moving toward a future of well-being and shared prosperity through the future of tilapia in Mexico,” Conapesca General Coordinator of Operations and Institutional Strategy María José Espinosa Romero said.
