Yucatán Octopus Season Hits 20,000 Ton Catch

YUCATÁN, Mexico — Three months into the fishing season for the Maya octopus and vulgaris (patón) octopus in Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo, 20,000 tons of the mollusk have been harvested. Lila Rosa Frías Castillo, head of the Secretariat of Fisheries and Sustainable Aquaculture of the State Government, announced the figures yesterday, adding that the quota for this fishery is set at 28,000 tons.

The octopus fishing season began on Friday, August 1, and will conclude on Monday, December 15. Regarding the season's progress, Frías Castillo specified that during this period the price per kilo of octopus has varied, having been sold from 100 pesos to 150 pesos; it currently fluctuates between 110 and 120 pesos per kilo.

"This is a fishery in which Yucatán holds the majority share in terms of contribution, but we also share it with Campeche and Quintana Roo," said Frías Castillo. "For this year, they set us a quota, which is not just to be met, but also keeps the fishery healthy. It is 28,000 tons, and I believe it will be achieved."

The official added that, in the case of this state, there is a registry of more than 16,000 fishermen.

Engine Program

In this context, Frías Castillo stated that the engine program will begin in the middle of this month of November. Through this program, the state government will contribute approximately 50 percent of the cost to enable fishermen to acquire or renew their boat engines.

She specified that the state administration has a budget of 20 million pesos for the aforementioned program and explained that an engine currently costs between 190,000 and 210,000 pesos for smaller vessels.

"Right now we are focused on finishing the octopus season, which has been a good period for the fishermen of our coastal communities, and we are about to end the year," stated the interviewee. "We are finalizing the topic of social programs that are about to be launched, like the engine program, and with that we are practically starting preparations for 2026. Our secretariat starts strong because we begin with the 2026 closed season for octopus and for grouper, and we are already working on building the start of the year."