The Islote de Agua Verde cooperative is taking steps towards federal government certification to ensure the safety and traceability of its products. For its president Edgar Murillo Talamante, this commitment has to do with opening doors in national and international markets and with dignifying the work of fishermen, to obtain a fair income for every kilo traded.
“What we want is to earn more and fish less”, summarizes the leader, who stresses that the conventional market pays very low prices and forces us to extract more product to compensate. Although their strong suit is the horse mackerel, they also catch huachinango, cabrilla and snapper, among other species, in a multispecific fishery.
Thus, the 41-member cooperative seeks a certification for Good Aquaculture and Fishing Practices (BPayP) issued by the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica). In this commitment, the cooperative has invested in training, adaptation of vessels, medical studies for its members and traceability processes that differentiate itself from those who operate without quality controls.
In conversation with Causa Natura Media, Murillo explains the costs and benefits of this route, the unfair competition they experience against uncertified fishermen and the challenges of convincing their own colleagues that it is worth changing practices, even if the economic results are not immediately reflected.
This interview has been edited for synthesis and better reading.
— Why did you decide to bet on certifications and good practices? What does it represent for the cooperative in terms of market and income?
— Well, look, the vision of the project and of improving our fishery is to give added value to our product. The intention of all the changes that have been made within the cooperative is to earn more and fish less. Because the conventional market pays very cheaply for the product, so that leads you to get more production for the price. With these certifications and new tools, we reaffirm that we have 100% responsible fishing and, therefore, we have to pay a better price for it.
The idea of seeking certification is twofold: to be recognized as a cooperative that is really doing something for the sector and also improving the economic side. We want to be identified as having sustainable fishing, but for that we have to change our practices. No, that is to say: I want a better price. So we decided to train producers in capture and post-capture, in how to care for fish, in separating gasoline, in maintaining cleaning and disinfection. These are endless things that we have changed with the idea of being paid a little better.
— Have you considered joining supermarket chains or seeking international certifications? What would that route entail for the cooperative?
— Having this automatic certification is your cover letter to the following customers. You present your certificate that you are certified and that shows that you have good practices on board and in handling the product. This brings benefits because it is no longer the same price; if you are demanding quality and consistency, you must recognize it with a better payment.
The conventional market is looking for volume, but a preferred buyer requires honesty and transparency: that the fish never lost the cold chain, that it was not mistreated and that it comes from sustainable fishing.
We want to differentiate ourselves and position our product abroad. Right now we're working on some samples to send to Los Angeles with an American dining room. Of course we aim for all that, but it's step by step.
— What is the difference between selling in a conventional market and a preferred market?
— The most traditional business is interested in quantity. Like local markets, for example: they are interested in fish looking fresh and, on the other hand, the preferred market such as supermarkets and retailers behaves very differently. Although we are still in the certification process, we have already changed our methodology to differentiate ourselves. And that preferential market pays as if we were. Just by taking care of the cold chain and traceability, we have obtained an additional price of between 30 and 40%. We have worked with marketers that sell to hotels and restaurants, and that's where we found a market that does value that effort.
— What modifications have you had to implement to advance the certification of good practices?
— A lot of things change. From the physical issue of boats: every start of the season they have to be painted, labeled, brought presentable. Members must wash their hands before climbing, disinfect the cellars, have a medicine cabinet, separate chemicals, clean the needles, use certified ice.
We had to do medical studies on all the partners to make sure they didn't have bacteria that could contaminate the product, that cost us about 25,000 pesos, we even invested in the tools to produce our own certified ice, which was still a heavy expense. We spent another 20,000 on the adjustments of the vessels and we still need to pay the auditor. In total, we have already invested more than 50,000 pesos, not counting training, which thanks to NGOs such as SmartFish and Niparajá has been free of charge.
We are in transition. We have everything ready: logs, planning, producer studies. All we need is for Conapesca to renew a permit that is overdue, and as soon as it arrives we will resume the auditor's evaluation. We want to finish this year because if the studies don't expire and we would have to do them again.
— How does the traceability system work within the cooperative and what are the most delicate points in the process?
— The most delicate part is the producer's fishing, because you're not seeing him. One trusts that he is really doing good practices: that he takes care of the product, that he puts it straight into the water-snow so as not to lose the cold chain.
When they arrive at the collection center, we have a specialized person who records the capture: boat, license plate, crew, captain and kilos produced in the day. Also check the temperature, which should be 4 degrees Celsius. With these records, we guarantee that the product arrived in perfect condition at the processing plant.
— What role do consumers play in this process and how can they be encouraged to value a certified product?
— I've always said that it's time to educate consumers. Many times they go shopping and see the same product at different prices. They automatically choose the cheapest one, but behind that steak there may be bad practices. After another, which costs more, there is a work of good practices that the consumer does not know.
We work on a traceability system so that the final consumer knows where the product comes from. Because another thing that happens a lot is that they sell you one fish for another: they tell you that it's a goat and it's foreign, or that it's a leg and it's another species. So we must make the consumer aware so that they do not leave just because of the price, but because of products that come from responsible fishing.
— What has been the biggest challenge within the cooperative to adapt to these changes and what would you recommend to other presidents who want to start the process?
— The most difficult thing has been to change the mentality of the producers. In the beginning, it was difficult because we did different things without receiving immediate economic benefits. But when they saw that with the Ikejime technique (a technique of slaughtering fish that consists of disconnecting the animal's central nervous system to avoid stress, which improves the quality of the meat) we obtained better prices, things changed. That was a watershed: understanding that if we do things differently we can have different prices.
My advice to other fishing cooperatives is to persevere and resilient. Don't let them be discouraged because some partners don't want to move forward at the same time. There has to be communication, a lot of dialogue, and making them see that what we do today will work tomorrow. You don't have to expect immediate benefits, you have to have patience and a vision for the future.
— How do you imagine the future of the cooperative and the certified fishing sector? What role can alliances with NGOs and other cooperatives play?
— We know the magnitude of our cooperative and we know which markets we can access and which we can't. Little by little we want to grow, position our product outside and be an example so that other cooperatives want to join together.
Our vision is also to help other cooperatives, to be a collection center so that they can move forward on this same path. They helped us and we know what it takes to get there. We want to support so that others can do it as well.
NGOs have been key. SmartFish, for example, empowers us to negotiate and market, and Niparajá supports us with resources for the final evaluator. Thanks to them, we have made progress. I think that the future of the sector lies in educating the consumer and in certifying ourselves to access more competitive markets, but also in the fact that cooperatives are united in this process.
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