INACTIVE Mexico Magdalena Bay Pacific calico scallops - diver-caught

This hand-picked dive fishery for Baja scallops (almeja catarina) is becoming more sustainable by aligning with international fishery standards, including the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council, FAO's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. Each year, fishing scallops is prohibited on Magdalena Bay in Baja California Sur during the Winter ban (December 15 through March 31). Fishing is allowed only on shallow beds during opening periods decided by consensus, and under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación, SAGARPA) in consultation with area cooperativa and federacion license-holders. The FIP's role is to supplement the scientific surveys of scallop beds prior to each opening, under the regional authority of INAPESCA's CRIP. FIP hosts contribute drones and surveys to inform real-time management and expand the data availablility.

The fishery area (capture zone) consists of the lagoon systems of the Baja California peninsula and the sandy and muddy bottoms of the intertidal zone. The minimum capture size for scallops is 56 mm in length in the Lagunas Manuela, Guerrero Negro or Estero San José, Ojo de Liebre, San Ignacio, and in the channels and estuaries of Puerto Adolfo López Mateos and Ensenada de la Paz, while for the rest of the populations in Baja California is 60mm.