Grouper ban lifted in the Yucatan

As of this April 1, the ban on the capture of grouper in Yucatan has been lifted, which will be surrounded by the risk of increased poaching of this species.

When the ban is lifted, thousands of certified fishermen will go to sea in search of this species, one of the most valued in Yucatan, although the fishing cooperatives fear that illegal capture is also the order of the day, especially since during the break in the season the poachers were at bay, that is, due to the maritime surveillance they had to take shelter.

“What favored it was that there were several cold fronts, a lot of bad weather. Really, the weather conditions were not favorable, but now that the right weather conditions remain, we are going to have poaching problems,” said José Luis Carrillo Galaz, president of the Federation of Fishing Cooperative Societies of Central and Western Yucatan.

The fishing leader admitted that poaching would be getting worse especially because the octopus and lobster fisheries, two of the main ones in the entire state, continue to be closed.

That is why he insisted on the importance of federal and state fishing authorities being aware of illegal activity on the high seas.

A good grouper fishing season is expected
He said that despite this situation, a good volume of fishing is expected in the first days of the month, with the participation of 70 percent of local vessels, especially because the price paid for the product reached record levels at the beginning of this year.

“We hope that we start with a good price, a record price for grouper is 280 pesos for red and 300 for black, prices that had not been recorded after the ban on grouper.

In relation to poaching, he commented that they have requested the state government and the federal government, greater vigilance to prevent this crime from increasing in the coastal zone of Yucatan.

Last season it was possible to catch just over 5 thousand tons of grouper in Yucatan, a figure that has remained stable in the last 5 years, he concluded.

The Yucatan Times
Newsroom

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