Shrimp Ban Extended in Quintana Roo: Price Surge

QUINTANA ROO — The National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) has confirmed the extension of the ban on all shrimp species in Quintana Roo until September 30.

Ban Benefits Cooperatives but Hits Consumer

However, this measure does not represent a direct impact for local fishing cooperatives, as the shrimp boats operating in the state are privately owned by businessmen or individual vessel owners. Furthermore, they are not part of organizations like those in Puerto Juárez or Isla Mujeres, stated Baltazar Gómez Catzín, a fishing leader in Isla Mujeres and president of the Federation of Fishing Cooperatives of the State.

He even considered that the measure "favors" the social sector. He explained that there are few boats dedicated to shrimp capture in the state, and that the real challenge is the presence of vessels that arrive from other places to fish in the waters of Quintana Roo.

Gómez Catzín pointed out that the greatest abundance of this product is found in the northern zone, towards the fishing grounds of Contoy.

Blow to the End Consumer

Nevertheless, what has generated a palpable effect is the 15 percent increase in the price of shrimp compared to last year. Currently, large U-12 shrimp is priced at 700 pesos per kilo, breading shrimp at 500 pesos, and cocktail shrimp at 350 pesos.

This directly hits the end consumer and the restaurant sector that depends on this product, he emphasized.

"While the ban benefits the cooperatives by reducing pressure on marine resources, the increase in the price of shrimp opens a new front of concern, revealing that the problem is not in local capture but in the lack of comprehensive market regulation and the intervention of external fleets that drive up the offer," he stated.

Ban Seeks Sustainability and Resource Protection

The decision to extend the ban on this shellfish, published in the Official Journal of the Federation, responds to technical recommendations from the Mexican Institute of Research in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (IMIPAS). The objective is to protect the reproductive cycles of the crustacean and guarantee higher quality catches in the future.

According to the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), this measure seeks to favor the individual growth of the shrimp and promote responsible use of the resource, in a region where fishing activity provides direct sustenance for thousands of families.

Finally, and although the ban implies a pause in commercial fishing, federal authorities insist that its compliance is key to the sustainability of the sector; for this, surveillance in coastal zones has been reinforced and a telephone line remains active to report illegal fishing or bad practices.