Mexico’s Fishing Industry Urges Higher Domestic Consumption

In Mexico, up to 80% of several high-quality fish species are exported, primarily to Asia, North America, and Europe, due to strong international demand. This massive outflow of product, acknowledged by the Mexican Council for the Promotion of Fishery and Aquaculture Products (Comepesca), limits domestic market availability, hinders price competitiveness, and keeps national consumption stagnant at 16 kilos per capita per year.

In an exclusive interview for Bistronomie of El Economista, Citlali Gómez Lepe reported that the Mexican fishing and aquaculture sector produces around 2 million tons annually, with an estimated gross value between 37,000 and 42,000 million pesos, according to 2024 Conapesca figures. This data highlights the economic weight of the sector within the national agri-food industry and its social relevance: more than 2 million people depend directly on this activity in a country with 11,000 kilometers of coastline.

Despite the potential, the perception that fish is expensive continues to inhibit its consumption. Comepesca emphasizes that accessible proteins exist, such as sardines—considered one of the most nutritious in the world—hake, sea bass, vaqueta, or catfish. However, lack of information, weak traceability, and the presence of illegal fishing, which could represent up to 40% of national activity, distort the market and prevent robust internal development.

The sector will also face an immediate challenge: in January, new U.S. embargoes on various species from the Upper Gulf of California will come into effect. This will force a portion of the product previously exported to remain in Mexico, opening the need—and opportunity—to strengthen domestic consumption. For Comepesca, a viable goal would be to increase consumption by 1 kilo per capita every 2 years, sufficient to retain added value in the country and reduce dependence on low-quality imports.

In this context, from December 3 to 5, 2025, Comepesca will hold the fifth edition of the Latin American Summit for Fishery and Aquaculture Sustainability in Mérida, Yucatán, considered one of the most relevant meetings in the region.

The edition will bring together more than 140 panelists, producers, artisanal fishers, chefs, academics, civil organizations, national buyers, and authorities to discuss traceability, sustainability, markets, regulation, and new business models.

The forum will also function as a linkage platform: more than 50 cooperatives from across the country will present products, expose challenges, and establish direct contact with hotel chains, retailers, and institutional buyers, with the goal of integrating small producers into formal markets of higher value.

Gómez Lepe emphasizes that the underlying objective is clear: that more Mexican product stays in Mexico, that it is properly valued, and that the production chain advances toward economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Comepesca will continue promoting training, traceability, and professionalization to “rebuild the value of Mexican fishing from within.”