Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries has established four marine refuge areas to help the nation’s commercial fisheries recover.
“These measures respond to the requests of fishermen and women and are supported by the scientific support of the Mexican Institute for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Research [IMIPAS],” the National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) said in its announcement. “In addition to the target species, the recovery of populations of secondary species and environmental improvements within the [protected areas] are expected.”
Among the species being targeted by the protections are octopus, lobster, red grouper, and sea cucumber.
Two of the Temporary Partial Fishing Refuge Zone (ZRP) Agreements – El Cerrito and Telchac Puerto – were established in the state of Yucatán. A third refuge was established in Manzanillo Bay in the state of Colima, while the fourth refuge, El Saladito, was established in the state of Baja California Sur.
“Yucatán and Baja California Sur stand out among the states that have most supported industry proposals to establish ZRPs; in Yucatán, specific grants have even been issued to support these initiatives,” Conapesca said. “In Colima, the Manzanillo Bay ZRP is the first of its kind in the state, with interest in adding others in the short term with support from the state government.”
The ZRPs will remain in place for at least five years.
The government has not banned all fishing within the four refuges; limited commercial octopus fishing using traditional gear will still be allowed in Telchac Puerto and El Cerrito, while commercial fishing for marine-scale fish with artisanal gear will be allowed in Manzanillo Bay. Educational fishing and promotional fishing for biological monitoring will be occasionally permitted in El Saladito.
The announcement comes a few months after the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRICULTURA) declared its intention to add more ZRPs across nine coastal states. The government’s stated goal is to protect 2.2 million marine hectares by 2026. Twenty-eight ZRPs were already in place previously, but Conapesca aims to increase that number to 83.
“The new ZRPs are developed through the active participation of fishing communities, which seek to restore fisheries, protect their environment, improve their economy, and contribute to the country's food sovereignty,” Conapesca said in a press release.
However, groups like the Cámara Nacional de las Industrias Pesquera y Acuícola (Canainpesca) has criticized the government for not involving industry more in the planning process.
“We reject the authorities' intention to continue making decisions without scientific support, without resources, and without consulting the productive sector, affecting food self-sufficiency and those engaged in legal fishing in Mexico,” Canainpesca said in June.
