Cast Net

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.

The Magdalena Bay shrimp FIP started in 2010 in collaboration with Tai Foong USA and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). The project leadership was transferred to Northern Chef in January 2014. 

The Pacific Ocean is the most productive fishing area in Mexico, providing approximately 75 percent of seafood catch by volume, and accounting for most of the country’s seafood exports by value. Shrimp in the northwest Pacific coast of Mexico is the most important fishery in Mexico. It has the highest economic value of landings, averaging $260 million. It is also the highest-ranked fishery in terms of the number of vessels (750 bottom trawlers and about 18,000 small-scale vessels) and the number of direct jobs (37,000 direct jobs as well as 75,000 indirect ones). It places third in terms of volume with annual captures of approximately 50,000 tons during the fishing season which begins in September and runs through March.

The Magdalena Bay shrimp fishery generates annual landings of 3 million pounds with a value of $15 million USD. Seventy percent of the total landings are brown shrimp and 30 percent are Pacific blue shrimp. The fishery operates with 27-foot-long vessels equipped with outboard motors. In the case of brown shrimp, the vessels are equipped with a 35-foot head rope bottom trawl. For blue shrimp, the gear utilized is the Suripera, a modified cast net. In both cases, the fishing unit is operated by two fishermen who conduct daily trips, usually nocturnal for brown shrimp and diurnal for blue shrimp.

The fishery is regulated by the Mexican Official Standard NOM-002-SAG/PESC-2013 which establishes access controls (fishing licenses and concessions) and fishing gear and fishing grounds restrictions. CONAPESCA opens and closes the fishing season according to the scientific advice provided by INAPESCA which has a continuing monitoring program on shrimp stocks. The most recent abundance estimates indicate that both stocks yields are above the historic averages which confirm the recovery trends.

In October 2017, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program published a new report and recommendations on Mexican wild shrimp, giving the fishery a Good Alternative recommendation. The new recommendations for blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) can be found here and for the brown shrimp (Penaeus californiensis) can be found here.