Caribbean Lobster Trade Woes: Why Singapore Beats Mexico’s Supermarkets

Fishermen in Cozumel are exploring alternative markets for their sustainably caught lobsters due to a lack of transparency and equitable trade agreements.

The term 'chakay' is Mayan for sea lobster. From 2015 to 2019, fishermen from Cozumel, Banco Chinchorro, Punta Allen, and Punta Herrero in Quintana Roo used this term as a brand to market the lobsters they have been commercially fishing for over six decades. The Caribbean lobster has carved out a niche in the global market. Fishermen are aware that their artisanally caught lobsters are being sold in businesses and restaurants in China and Singapore, thanks to information from seafood traders. However, they are uncertain about the distribution of their product in domestic retail supermarkets like Chedraui, Walmart, Costco, and H.E.B, despite these being significant seafood outlets in Mexico.

From 2015 to 2017, when the Chakay brand was in use, there was product traceability. The lobsters reached retail stores through a middleman who would keep the fishermen informed. "We even saw our live lobster at the Chedraui Selecto in Mérida (Yucatán), but now we don't have that information, and most of our customers export the product," says Miguel Canto, a civil engineer and fisherman from the Cozumel Fisheries Cooperative.

The Caribbean lobster is highly valued, and there are strict guidelines for its capture due to the risk of overexploitation. Fishermen adhere to the law, which stipulates a minimum capture size of 13.5 centimeters and prohibits the extraction of egg-carrying lobsters. The cooperative also establishes fishing refuges, areas where no capture is allowed to encourage species repopulation. This contributes to conservation efforts in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, a Protected Natural Area where several cooperatives, including Cozumel, Vigia Chico, and Jose Maria Azcorra, fish sustainably.

The lobster has not been marketed under the Chakay brand since 2019. The Cozumel Fisheries Cooperative attributes this to "mismanagement at the cooperative leadership." However, Miguel Canto points out that unfair commercial agreements hindered their entry into supermarkets. Some buyers demanded credit, while supermarkets offered prices that were not profitable for the cooperatives.

Today, the Cozumel Fishing Cooperative comprises 57 partner fishermen who work between Cozumel Island and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. They sell the lobster in three forms: live, frozen, and lobster tail. After being caught according to clients' orders, the lobsters are delivered to Playa del Carmen or Puerto Morelos. From there, intermediaries handle the sale and export to the international market. The fishermen remain keen on product traceability and launched a Pro certification this year.