Mexico Yucatan Peninsula blue crab - dipnet/pot/trap

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Overview

The blue crab fishery in the Yucatan is an artisanal fishery where blue crab is caught by ring net/pot traps and sometimes with dipnets. It includes areas from the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco & Yucatan. Catches from these states represent 14% of swimming crab catches in Mexico.  70% of the suppliers catches are from Sabancuy and Isla Aguada, Campeche where Callinectes sapidus predominates.

Pontchartrain Blue Crab (based in Louisiana, USA), and PESMAR, its Yucatan suppliers, launched a fishery improvement project in April 2013. A preliminary assessment against the Marine Stewardship Council Standard (July 2013) suggested the fishery would score in the 60-80 range.  The two lowest scores were for bycatch monitoring and information (PI 2.2.3) and for monitoring the performance of the management system (PI 3.2.5).  Mayaland Seafood LLC integrated to the project in this period.  A preliminary assessment against the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch criteria in 2015 found more information was needed on bycatch.  Leadership was handed to CeDePesca starting on 2019, workplan was updated and activities were re-established.

FIP is engaged with industry, fishermen, government entities and academic institutions looking forward to strength this collaborations.

FIP Description 

The blue crab fishery in the Yucatan is an artisanal fishery where blue crab is caught by ring net/pot traps and sometimes with dipnets. It includes areas from the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco & Yucatan.

FIP Objective(s) 

The project will improve the fishery towards global standard for sustainable fisheries of the Marine Stewardship Council program by the end of april 2025.  Specific objectives are:

  • By 2021, to improve knowledge of the fishery through a biological monitoring program. This action is extended util 2023, some results were presented in 2021 [Modified]
  • By April 2025, to contribute to the strengthening of the fishery management system and its compliance.
  • By March 2025, to generate information regarding other components of the Ecosystem in which the fleet that supplies Pesmar operates.
  • By 2023, Understand and improve the human rights and social responsibility performance.

 

FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 5: Improvements on the Water
Start and Projected End Dates
March 2013
April 2025
Update 
“As a result of the leadership change that is actually operating the FIP since april 2019, in order to meet the objectives set, the workplan and the end date was extended, the objectives were detailed and activities modified”
Next Progress Report Due 
Monday, March 31, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
Blue Crab
Scientific Name
Callinectes sapidus
Gear Type 
Dipnet
Pot/Trap
Ring Net
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 31 (Atlantic, Western Central)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Mexico
Geographic Scope 
Campeche, Yucatan & Tabasco
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
451 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
3,105 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
March 01, 2013
4% 50% 4% 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.
Mar 2025
Target End Date
Apr 2025
Additional Impacts:
TraceabilityEcosystem

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Pescados y Mariscos del Caribe, S.A. de C.V. (PESMAR)
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Rudy Abad
Phone 
+ 52 9699344119
Organization Name 
CeDePesca
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Minerva Alonso
Phone 
+521 9992423250
Organization Name 
Pontchartrain Blue Crab
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Gary Bauer
Organization Name 
Mayaland Seafood LLC
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Yara Bradford
Phone 
228 332 1026
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.
1356