Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Fishermen in Cozumel are optimistic they can surpass last year’s lobster catch of 40 tons, despite the challenges posed by sargassum seaweed washing ashore, according to the leader of the local fishing cooperative.
Sergio Ochoa González, head of the Cooperativa Pesquera Cozumel, said the cooperative aims to catch 50 tons of lobster in 2026, up from 40 tons in 2025. The increase is needed to cover rising operational costs, he explained.
“We expect there will be a bit more lobster because the closed seasons were respected,” Ochoa González said. “This year there was good surveillance by inspectors from the Mexican Navy and the National Fisheries Commission (Conapesca), which limits poaching and ensures compliance with the bans.”
However, the sargassum influx is complicating fishing operations in the cooperative’s two main areas: Bahía del Espíritu Santo in Felipe Carrillo Puerto and the waters off Cozumel’s coast. Ochoa González described the situation in the bay as serious, noting that the seaweed hinders fishermen from launching their boats and offloading their catch, and can cause skin diseases.
“Last year, production was reduced because of sargassum — it prevents us from going out to fish,” he said. “There’s so much sargassum that you can’t get on the boat because we don’t have a dock. You have to walk through the sargassum to reach your boat, which is 70 meters from shore.”
The cooperative is asking authorities to build piers extending 70 to 80 meters beyond the sargassum line so boats can dock without entering the seaweed. Ochoa González explained that sargassum leachate repels lobsters, making government support essential.
Despite the challenges, Ochoa González noted that sales were good in 2025, thanks to multiple buyers that help balance supply and demand. While prices have not yet reached desired levels, the cooperative can negotiate 70 to 80 percent of the target price. “One of the best lobsters in Quintana Roo is from Cozumel,” he concluded.
