Rio Lagartos, Yucatan — Fishermen along Yucatan’s eastern coast are grappling with technical and operational hurdles as they try to expand live lobster exports to international markets, particularly China. While the practice offers higher profits, keeping the crustaceans alive during fishing trips remains a major challenge.
Divers from ports such as Rio Lagartos, San Felipe, Las Coloradas, and El Cuyo say few fishermen currently engage in live lobster fishing due to the complexity of extracting and preserving the animals in optimal condition until they reach cooperative collection centers.
Fisherman Juan Caamal explained that exporting live lobster provides a commercial advantage because the entire animal can be sold, unlike the traditional method where only the tail is marketed.
“Now we get a better yield per kilogram, and we also avoid catching specimens that don’t meet size and weight requirements, because they can be returned to the sea unharmed,” he said.
For this type of fishing, divers use a specialized technique: catching the lobster with a loop to avoid injuring it. The lobster is then placed in special bags that allow it to be brought to the surface with minimal stress.
Fishermen believe this method also benefits conservation, as juvenile or undersized lobsters can be released immediately, reducing pressure on the species.
However, natural conditions pose significant obstacles. Many lobsters hide in deep or hard-to-reach caves, making extraction difficult without damaging their antennae or causing injuries that lower their commercial value.
High sea temperatures and long workdays have also caused many lobsters to die before reaching collection centers, reducing the profitability of this approach.
Given these difficulties, most fishermen have opted to continue with traditional capture methods, while a small group continues to refine handling techniques in hopes of eventually consolidating live lobster exports to international markets.
