Mexico La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve artisanal white shrimp - cast-nets

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Overview

Mexico´s Pacific Coast shrimp fishery is one of the country´s most important fisheries. It is first in terms of the
commercial value of the harvest from the industrial and small-scale fleets and generates the most jobs directly
and indirectly (approximately 37,000) (SAGARPA, 2013). La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve (REBIEN, for its
acronym in Spanish) is a 144,868-hectare coastal protected area that includes environmental lakes, coastal
lagoons, and mangrove ecosystems. It is located in the Gulf of Tehuantepec the southern state of Chiapas, close
to the border with Guatemala. Fishing activities are the main sources of protein and livelihood for the local
communities and approximately 18 small-scale cooperatives (600 fishermen) hold permits and/or concessions
for shrimp and finfish, in the REBIEN (SEMARNAT-CONANP 2009; Rodríguez-Perafán, 2014; Armengol et al.,
2021). White shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is the most important commercial species due to its price and
average annual production (~2,800 tons) (SAGARPA 2006).
This FIP will begin with the participation of three cooperatives, however, the incorporation of other cooperatives
is expected as the benefits from engaging in the FIP become evident. The participating cooperatives -SCPP
Topón, SCPP El Carrizal, and SCPP El Castaño- include over 200 members and land approximately
150 tons of white shrimp annually. Each of these cooperatives has a concession with multiple fishing areas
where the fishers use cast nets as their main fishing gear. The cooperatives harvest shrimp three or four times
during the year, and the rainy season (May-September) is the most important in terms of production
(CONAPESCA 2015). The cooperatives have established well-enforced internal measures to manage the shrimp
fishing efforts, including voluntary seasonal closures that the cooperatives determined by monitoring the size and
weight of the shrimp and a limited time window for harvests (4 or 5 hours per day). Due to these measures, the
three cooperatives have observed stability in the annual average of their white shrimp catch for the last five years
(~35 tons), however, they recognize the need for better management and harvest practices.

There are no specific policies or management measures for the white shrimp fishery in the REBIEN. In addition,
the pre-assessment has identified other challenges such as data collection, harvest strategy, specific objectives,
and bycatch rates. Very limited value is added to harvests locally and as part of the FIP activities, the
cooperatives will receive support to improve quality, add value, and transition to more formal market segments
that compensate for their fishery management efforts.

FIP Description 

Mexico´s Pacific Coast shrimp fishery is one of the country´s most important fisheries. It is first in terms of the
commercial value of the harvest from the industrial and small-scale fleets and generates the most jobs directly

FIP Objective(s) 

By December 2027, this FIP will work towards completing the following objectives:

1. Implement a Monitoring Program for artisanal white shrimp fishing.
2. Define a comprehensive management strategy aligned with the indicators of Principle 1 of the MSC standard.
3. Strengthen the governance framework of the fishery.
4. Identify the impacts of the fishery on species, habitats, and ecosystems.

FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
January 2023
December 2027
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, January 31, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
White Shrimp
Scientific Name
Litopenaeus vannamei
Gear Type 
Cast Net
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 77 (Pacific, Eastern Central)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Mexico
Geographic Scope 
La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve
Country Flag of Vessel 
Mexico
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
150 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
2,810 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
January 01, 2023
25% 25% 7% 43%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

B Good Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Jan 2025
Target End Date
Dec 2027
Additional Impacts:
TraceabilityEcosystemOther

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
SMARTFISH RESCATE DE VALOR, AC
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Yuliesky Garcés Rodríguez
Phone 
+526121488553
Organization Name 
Conservation International México A.C (CIMEX)
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Ramón Alberto Flores Moreno
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
19953