Quintana Roo Lobster Catch Reaches 50 Tons but Commercialization Struggles

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Lobster fishermen in Quintana Roo have caught 50 tons of live lobster this season, but they face significant challenges in selling the catch locally due to low demand and high consumer prices, industry representatives said.

The president of the state federation of fishing cooperatives, Baltazar Gómez Catzín, said that a lack of local consumption is squeezing profit margins. “They are constantly haggling the price, but we can no longer afford to sell cheaper. If we keep lowering the price, the activity becomes unprofitable,” Gómez Catzín said.

Live whole lobster, primarily destined for export, sells for between 350 and 400 pesos ($18 to $20) per kilogram. Cooperatives with proper fishing permits and health certificates have no trouble placing their product abroad, especially in China, according to Gómez Catzín.

Lobster tails fetch between 600 and 650 pesos per kilogram, but sales in the domestic market are moving much more slowly. The final price at local restaurants often exceeds 1,000 pesos per dish, which dampens demand.

The lobster fishery (Panulirus argus) remains one of the most important economic pillars of the Mexican Caribbean. Participating cooperatives operate in areas such as Bahía de la Ascensión, Bahía del Espíritu Santo, Banco Chinchorro, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, and Puerto Morelos.

To ensure sustainability, fishermen use regulated methods including “casitas cubanas” (artificial shelters) and traps. Federal regulations require minimum catch sizes and prohibit harvesting egg-bearing females.