INACTIVE Mexico Gulf of California Cortez geoduck - hookah

The Gulf of California Cortez Geoduck (Panopea globose) semi-autonomous diving “hookah” type fishery is located on the east and west coast of Baja California State in Mexico and it´s relatively new.  It started in 2004 as a commercial fishery with 5 fishing permits and has grown to 194 fishing permits (CNP, 2018).  It is a fishing resource that is becoming increasingly important for small scale fishermen due to its high commercial value and high demand in Asian countries (Sagarpa, 2012).  This fishery is currently exploited to its maximum sustainable yield (CNP, 2018).  It is based on two species Panopea globosa and Panopea generosa, although only P. globosa lives in the fishing grounds in San Felipe area and is the scope of this project.

The species' biological characteristics of low growth rates, relatively low recruitment, and low natural mortality rates make it vulnerable to over-exploitation (Sagarpa, 2012).  Currently, the fishery is managed by legal minimum size, quotes, and limited effort (CNP, 2018).