Yucatán Grouper Ban Starts Early, Prices Announced

PROGRESO. – With the northerly winds caused by cold front number 30, whose effects still persist on the coasts of Yucatán, the grouper fishing ban has officially been moved forward, as it normally begins on February 1 and ends on March 31.

The boats of the larger fleet have already begun arriving at the Yucalpetén shelter port, with low catches, averaging one ton per vessel, according to information from businessman David Uc Roche, owner of the Pez y Pulpo freezing plant.

The last trip of the grouper season, which runs from April 1 to January 31, has been bad, due to the constant northerly winds that give no respite. Fishing for this marine species has been suspended for more than a week, although the boats remain at sea, with fishermen hoping to work the last two or three days.

Ana María Pech Chacón, president of Armadores Pesqueros de Yucatán, summarizes: “The line fishermen are crying, grouper fishing is very difficult due to the bad weather, the boats will wait until Saturday the 31st, the last day of the season, to try to fish.”

David Uc Roche points out that the last grouper fishing trip does not yield profits, with the 1,000 kilos the boat brings: “it doesn’t cover expenses, a boat dedicated to grouper fishing invests $350,000, fishing is expensive, before with $100,000 a boat from the larger fleet was supplied, in this 2026 the expense has tripled.”

Extensive Investment for Fishing

He details that a boat dedicated to grouper fishing carries 4 to 5 crew members, whereas on a squid fishing boat 22 fishermen travel, the departure expense is $600,000, half goes to advances for the crew, the trip lasts 22 days for it to be cost-effective and yield profits.

Grouper fishing is expensive, explains David Uc, the boats have to move away from the coast, unlike squid boats that work nearby, squid fishing is with the traditional system of drifting boats and catches with jigs, whereas grouper is by means of the longline system.

Price of Grouper in Yucatán

As the grouper ban is about to begin, which will last two months, the kilo of red grouper is at $220 and the black grouper between $260 and $280.

Ana Pech points out that in this first month of the year, the bad weather has been constant, which does not allow grouper fishing and the boats remain inactive for a long time, hence grouper fishing is very difficult at this time of year.