Over 100 Divers Suffer Decompression Sickness During Isla Mujeres Lobster Season

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo — As the lobster fishing season nears its close in Isla Mujeres, a preliminary report reveals 110 divers suffered decompression sickness, a boat was lost, and thieves stole fishing gear, causing economic losses exceeding one million pesos, according to local cooperative leaders.

The fishing vessel “Guajirita,” measuring 23 feet in length, capsized near Punta Nizuc on February 7 and could not be located after search efforts concluded following the storm. The boat disappeared along with its motor, navigation equipment, and fishing gear, valued at over 30,000 pesos, members of the affected cooperative “Patria y Progreso” said.

Thieves also stole 200 lobster traps and 50 nets from the five fishing organizations in the region between July and February, resulting in losses of 950,000 pesos in fishing equipment. Fishermen did not file a report with the State Prosecutor’s Office due to distrust in the institution, cooperative members stated.

The boat’s owner, experienced fisherman Nicolás Rivero, was aboard during the capsizing. He swam to shore in Cancún, while the Mexican Navy’s Fifth Naval Region rescued his two companions from the bay.

Most of the 110 decompression cases involved divers from Isla Mujeres, with a smaller number from nearby municipalities. Officials reported the injuries were mostly minor, but affected workers lost at least two weeks of work. Among the most severely impacted was José, 52, who was advised not to dive again but returned to work less than a month later “out of necessity to feed the family.”

Baltazar Gómez, president of the “Justicia Social” cooperative and head of the Quintana Roo Federation of Cooperatives, said definitive figures on stolen or lost traps and nets will be released several days after the season ends, allowing for a detailed review of losses among members.

Gómez had previously predicted Quintana Roo would reach 600 tons of live lobster for export to China by the season’s close. As of last week, the region had counted 550 tons.

For Isla Mujeres, increasing extraction appears unlikely due to forecasted southern winds with gusts up to 36 kilometers per hour, which may only allow removal of traps on Saturday, the final day authorized by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission.