Cancún, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo’s fishing industry is undergoing a historic transformation driven by a push for inclusion and equity, according to state officials. While fishing has traditionally been dominated by men, women’s participation is becoming a pillar of regional development, placing the state 12th nationally in female economic participation, said Jorge Aguilar Osorio, head of the state Secretariat of Agricultural, Rural and Fisheries Development (Sedarpe).
According to Sedarpe census data, 40 women work in fishing in Quintana Roo, and 1,247 work in livestock and agriculture. Aguilar said the agency has implemented public policies aimed at removing structural barriers that prevented women from accessing the same opportunities as men along the state’s coasts.
“When we arrived at Sedarpe, we saw many limitations in the inclusion of women. A very clear example was that many concession titles or land tenure documents were always in men’s names, which made it very difficult to include women in the primary sector,” he said.
To reverse this, the agency launched affirmative actions. In the fishing sector, women in cooperatives have begun receiving direct support, such as boat engines and technical equipment. These resources not only facilitate their daily work but also ensure they can actively participate in generating profits, allowing them to compete on equal footing in a highly demanding sector.
Aguilar also said the creation of a new permanent information system has been key to giving visibility to the primary sector in its different branches. The state now has a registry of approximately 12,000 active producers.
The response from communities has been notable, with an increase in the presence of female delegates and community representatives who bring order and a new perspective to local production. Collaboration with institutions such as the Institute of Social Economy has strengthened product marketing.
Sedarpe has observed that production units run by women often stand out for their organization, which raises the quality of the final product. However, Aguilar acknowledged that the deepest change is a cultural paradigm shift among workers in the sector, and more work is needed to sensitize men to women’s fundamental role in the economy.
“We have been carrying this permanent message that women are our partners in the field, at sea, in livestock farming. They must have equal opportunities, they must generate, and they must also share in the profits. We have been participating, visiting many of the businesses they run,” the official said.
Finally, he emphasized that through agreements with universities and institutions, the sector will be professionalized, and the extensionist program will integrate female specialists who will provide technical advice, encouraging young people to return to primary activities.
