Mexico Yucatan Peninsula blue crab - dipnet/pot/trap

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.