Isla Mujeres Families Swap Fish for Chicken During Lent Due to Soaring Prices

Isla Mujeres, Mexico — Families on this island off the coast of Quintana Roo are abandoning traditional fish dishes for Lent this year, opting for chicken and vegetables instead as soaring seafood prices put the staple out of reach.

Local homemakers Camila López and Martha González said a kilogram of fish now costs around 140 pesos (approximately $8.30 USD), a price that allows them to buy chicken and produce to feed their families. “It’s better to buy chicken and stretch it with vegetables and rice for six people,” they explained, lamenting that despite being surrounded by ocean, local fish has become scarce and unaffordable.

Marta, another resident, said she will have to get creative this Lent season, preparing various stews with vegetables, beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, soybeans, and fava beans instead of seafood.

The price disparity is stark: a kilogram of chicken costs about 55 pesos, while fish prices range from 140 pesos to double that depending on the species. Specific prices cited include snapper at 300 pesos, mahi-mahi at 250 pesos, salmon at 260 pesos, and hogfish from 170 to 200 pesos per kilogram.

Meanwhile, vegetable prices also fluctuate: tomatoes range from 30 to 50 pesos per kilogram, onions 35 to 55 pesos, potatoes 30 to 45 pesos, carrots 16 to 20 pesos, limes 30 to 50 pesos, and avocados 60 to 90 pesos, depending on supply and demand.

Fishermen report that catching scale fish has become difficult due to scarcity. A fishing ban on grouper began on February 1 due to overexploitation, with no alternative projects in place to meet local demand. Jeremías, a local fisherman, highlighted the lack of viable aquaculture projects since a 2011 proposal for cobia farming for tourism failed over legal issues concerning land use.

The island’s five fishing cooperatives currently have no inventory of scale fish. What little members of the “Patria y Progreso” and “Justicia Social” cooperatives might catch in the coming week will be destined for beach clubs, according to some members.