Mexico Bans Shrimp Fishing in Isla Contoy

ISLA MUJERES, MX — The Mexican government has extended the ban on all species of shrimp within the Isla Contoy National Park and Protected Natural Area. The decision was made on the technical recommendation of the Mexican Institute of Research in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (IMIPAS), with the objective of protecting the crustacean's primary reproductive event and growth.

The information was released by the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (Agricultura) through the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca). The commission stated that the goal of the ban on all shrimp species for commercial fishing in marine waters and estuarine lagoon systems under federal jurisdiction in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea is to promote the capture of more commercially favorable sizes.

The new dates for the ban will be: from 00:00 hours on June 1 to 18:00 hours on September 30, 2025, in the coastal strip off the states of Campeche and Tabasco; and from 00:00 hours on June 1 to 18:00 hours on September 30 in the fishing grounds of Contoy, in Quintana Roo.

“Therefore, Conapesca calls on the shrimp fishing sector to respect the closed season period to favor the protection of the crustacean's development periods,” the federal agency stated. It concluded by noting that to receive reports of illegal fishing or bad practices, the Commission maintains the telephone line 669 915 6913 available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.