Yucatán’s Tilapia Farming Offers Hope for Fishing Communities

Yucatán, Mexico — Yucatán faces a fishing crossroads. Its coastal communities confront strong pressure: fishing bans on emblematic species like grouper and octopus, illegal fishing, bad weather, and overexploitation. In this context, aquaculture emerges as a resilience strategy. In particular, tilapia farming—a scaled species that can be cultivated in ponds—has been promoted by the Secretariat of Fisheries and Sustainable Aquaculture (Sepasy) to provide economic relief to more than 15,000 fishing families during critical periods.

Fishing in Yucatán depends mainly on three species: Mayan octopus, grouper, and lobster. According to recent reports, overexploitation, illegal fishing, and climate impacts have caused a drop in catches.

For example, the octopus season, which regularly runs from August 1 to December 15, has recorded ups and downs despite its length.

Additionally, lobster and grouper are under pressure: the former suffers from illegal fishing, while the latter has a severe ban period (from February 1 to March 31), limited by state regulations to protect its reproduction.

According to archives from POR ESTO!, in 2024 Yucatán caught 46,824 tons of marine species, with octopus representing around 39%. This production volume reflects the economic importance of fishing in the state: its value exceeded 5,500 million pesos, of which more than 3,000 million corresponded to Yucatán.

But the crisis is not only about quantity: pollution, the disappearance of reefs, pesticide use, and the increase in fishing vessels have put the sustainability of these traditional fisheries at risk.

Strategic Alternative

Faced with the economic uncertainty brought by fishing bans, Sepasy proposes tilapia aquaculture as an intelligent solution. Lila Frías Castillo, Secretary of Fisheries and Sustainable Aquaculture, explains that tilapia farming (up to a commercial weight of 450–500 grams in about six months) offers a constant and less risky source of income for fishing families during marine bans. This model has been specifically designed to prevent the temporary closure of scale fish fishing, like grouper, from dismantling the family economy.

Additionally, tilapia not only helps from an economic standpoint but also environmentally: by reducing pressure on native species under ban, it promotes more sustainable use of marine resources.

Frías Castillo notes that this helps curb illegal fishing and preserve sensitive populations. She also underscores its nutritional benefits: it is rich in omega-3 and vitamins, making it an attractive input for coastal restaurants when grouper is not available due to the ban.

Productively, the aquaculture system relies on technical processes: fish biometry is performed, sorting (separating by size), water monitoring (dissolved oxygen and other parameters), ponds with aeration, geomembranes, storage and treatment tanks. The fry are fed with formulated feeds, supplemented with plants, fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Upon reaching the appropriate weight, they are harvested and marketed, closing a sustainable productive cycle.

Ban with a Social Cost

Fishing bans are an essential tool to protect species reproduction. In Yucatán, the official ban for grouper runs from February 1 to March 31, according to the state Official Gazette.

For its part, the ban for Mayan octopus (Octopus maya) runs from December 16 to July 31, as marked by fishing regulations.

This prolonged restriction period aims to safeguard reproductive populations and ensure that fishing is sustainable in the long term. However, for local fishermen, this biological sacrifice implies a real economic risk if there is no viable alternative to support their families during inactivity.

Community and Social Impact

With the tilapia aquaculture program, Sepasy estimates that about 15,000 coastal families will benefit. This type of initiative not only strengthens the economy during bans but also contributes to fishing communities maintaining a more harmonious relationship with the environment, reducing illegal fishing and promoting active participation in the protection of their resources.

The state, for its part, is accompanying this transition with support programs: according to the Yucatecan government’s Official Gazette, there are operating rules to grant aid during the grouper ban to filleters, deboners, and fishermen.

Additionally, this aquaculture push comes at a time of urgency: overexploitation and illegal fishing not only threaten biodiversity but also the economic viability of coastal communities themselves. If action is not taken quickly, the cost could be high for both the ecosystem and the fishermen.

A Bet on the Future

Tilapia presents itself not only as a viable alternative to face fishing bans but as a lever to transform fishing in Yucatán: from a vulnerable traditional model to a more diversified, technical, and sustainable one. In a landscape marked by the crisis of traditional fisheries, this program has the potential to rebuild the fishing economy with a long-term vision.

However, its success will depend on adequate training, technical support in hatcheries, water monitoring, access to seed and balanced feeds, and fair marketing. If these pieces fit together, tilapia aquaculture could be the foundation of a more resilient fishery, less dependent on the exploitation of banned species and more integrated with the well-being of coastal communities and the care of the sea.