Puerto Juárez Fishing Crisis Leaves 150 Families Without Livelihood

Fishing Crisis Hits Families in Puerto Juárez

Puerto Juárez, Quintana Roo — The fishing industry in Puerto Juárez is experiencing one of its most critical moments due to low production, insecurity, prolonged fishing bans, and adverse weather conditions, according to local fishermen.

For many, fishing has ceased to be an activity that guarantees daily sustenance, acknowledged Jorge and “Pavita,” who have decades of experience in the trade. Members of the “Puerto Juárez” cooperative recognized that the decline in catches has severely reduced family incomes.

“There are days when our colleagues go out to sea and return with nothing. Before, at least it was enough for daily food; today, we don’t even recover what we invest in gasoline,” said “Pavita.”

He reported that sometimes they spend up to three days at sea and don’t recover the investment in fuel. He indicated they must seek other livelihood options, such as washing boat hulls or painting them. Currently, about 150 families depend on this activity.

He explained that during low season, buyers reduce demand and the price per kilogram plummets, mainly affecting those who live day-to-day.

The fishermen recalled that many have resorted to informal loans to repair engines, buy nets, or pay for fuel. They emphasized that the bad situation is compounded by engine thefts, whose value is 270,000 pesos, leaving them practically unable to go out to work.

“Our colleagues have had their equipment stolen; other boats are beached because bad weather breaks them and there’s no money to repair them,” said Jorge, a diver and fisherman.

They underscored that the adverse weather conditions of 2025 and port closures due to cold fronts or storms left families without income for days or weeks. To this are added bans on key species, necessary for conservation, but which don’t always have sufficient support for affected fishermen, although they acknowledged that authorities support them with food packages.

They commented that due to the lack of alternatives, several have abandoned fishing and sought employment in construction, tourism, or informal activities, generally without benefits or stability. Fishermen with decades of experience assured that days at sea don’t guarantee profits.

There are days when they return with empty nets, and when they manage to catch product, they must sell it at low prices due to oversupply, reduced buyers, and competition with foreign products, they stated.