Quintana Roo lobster season yields 500 tons, prices steady

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo — The lobster fishing season in Quintana Roo is reporting positive figures and maintaining price stability, according to Baltazar Gómez Catzin, president of the Regional Federation of Fishing Industry Cooperative Societies of the State of Quintana Roo, who presented a balance of fishing activity at the state and regional level.

According to the leader, the state total reports approximately 500 tons of whole lobster, both live and dead, which is commercialized under different handling processes.

This figure includes between 40 and 50 tons of lobster tail, maintaining favorable expectations for the season’s closure.

Gómez Catzin explained that weather conditions have played a determining role in the capture rate, as periods of bad weather allow the product to recover in the open sea, favoring new extractions when fishermen resume work.

In the specific case of the Isla Mujeres area, the federation president detailed that, among five cooperatives, approximately 80 tons of whole lobster and about 10 tons of tail are recorded, figures that reflect performance similar to the rest of the state.

Regarding prices, he indicated they have remained stable, without significant increases or decreases. Currently, a kilogram of live lobster is commercialized in a range of 350 to 400 pesos, while lobster tail reaches prices of 650 to 700 pesos per kilogram, with the latter being the most demanded in the local market.

However, Gómez Catzin warned that product handling is a key factor in its commercial value, as live lobster that dies before sale must be placed at a lower price, a situation that falls under the responsibility of each cooperative.

Finally, the fishing leader called for prevention, noting that so far this season approximately 180 cases of decompression have been treated in the entity through hyperbaric chambers.

He urged fishermen to avoid deep dives and risky transfers, with the goal of safeguarding their health during the remaining month and a half of the season.