Are the Yucatan octopus exports at risk?

Merida Yucatan; July 09, 2021 (ACOM) .- The president of Canainpesca, Enrique Sánchez Sanchéz, warned that the export of Yucatecan octopus abroad is at risk.

The businessman denounced that the delay in the certification of local export plants has put at risk the shipment of the mollusk to Europe, on the eve of the lifting of the ban on its capture, on August 1.

Without this requirement, which is granted by the Directorate Against Sanitary Risks, companies simply will not be able to export their product obtained by local fishermen.

“The companies do not have certification and they are not being given extensions due to a situation in federal Cofepris, in which the part of the operational directors are not complying in a timely manner to solve this problem. This is putting the export of octopus at risk ”, he pointed out.

Canainpesca’s report indicates that some 9 plants, representing 70% of those in the entire State, have not received certification from Cofepris to export despite the fact that it has been requested several months in advance without said instance attending the business request.

The group insisted that this problem puts at risk 30% of the income of Yucatan, which comes from the use of octopus, and that in turn, also threatens the economy of thousands of fishermen who depend on this activity, especially, before an eventual drop in the prices of this product.

“It is a strong issue because at the federal level the closure continues. It is a problem that the fisherman will have to suffer if prices fall and obviously the businessmen are going to have losses in this part. Unfortunately, the same authorities are preventing us from doing our job, ” he said.

According to the Canainpesca leader, support was requested from the state Fisheries Secretariat to expedite the process before the Federation, although there are doubts that this could lead to the issuance of certificates before the month of August.

Given this, he acknowledged that businessmen do not rule out taking action to pressure the authorities to meet their demands.