Over the past 10 years, criminal groups have affected the fishing industry and unleashed a wave of violence against actors in the production chain that ranges from charges for going out fishing to murders.
Faced with this scenario, the Mexican Confederation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Cooperatives (Conmecoop), which brings together 47 federations and 600 cooperative societies, proposes that illegal fishing be considered a national security problem.
“One of the main points for us is that illegal fishing and the issue of illegal marketing be considered matters of national security and that it be addressed in the National Security Council. We, as a camera, are what we can propose,” said José Luis Carrillo, president of Conmecoop.
Criminal groups curtail fishing efforts
In addition to the operating costs and red tape to obtain permits, fishermen now have to face criminal groups that, in some places, have complete control of fisheries, from capture to commercialization, according to Carrillo.
“In addition to illegal fishing, another ingredient is the control of criminal groups towards illegal fishermen and organized fishermen, but it has also been involved in the issue of commercialization. This has intensified markedly over the past ten years,” he said.
He added that the most common incidents are the charge for going out fishing, the obligation to sell the production to them and to allow them to fish without permits in the area where the fishermen work and the commercialization of the fish product. Even in the last two years, there have been murders and threats against fishing leaders in Mexico.
The situation of violence has a direct impact on fishermen, who find it increasingly difficult to carry out their work and is leading them to reconsider whether to continue doing it, said Alfonso Rosiñol, vice president of fisheries in the National Chamber of Fishing and Aquaculture Industries (Canainesca) and president of the same Chamber in the Baja California delegation.
“There are people in the industry seriously evaluating whether to continue here or flat out to see if they can turn to another type of work where they can do it. The main risk is that they stop fishing because it no longer suits them or they don't want to take the risk, and that could bring other problems because new people could enter fishing who don't respect the restrictions, quotas and minimum catch sizes,” Rosiñol said.
Currently, neither Canainesca nor Conmecoop have a record of incidents of violence directed at members of the fishing sector, since the people who are victims are afraid to speak up to inform organizations and to file a complaint. The only thing they have been able to identify are some fisheries and regions where more extreme aggressions such as murders have occurred.
“We have identified that the places that occur most frequently and most strongly are the places where fishery resources have a high value in the international market. Abalone, lobster, chiluda clam and octopus, for example, have a high value and that is why it is an incentive for them,” said Carrillo.
The role of confederations and business chambers
When there is an incident of violence against someone in the fishing sector, confederations and chambers recognize themselves overworked to do something about it because of the high security risk it poses for the fisherman and his family, Carrillo said, so they recommend going to the authorities, filing a complaint and seeking protection.
Despite this, being in an organization such as Conmecoop or Canainesca helps to be united and strong as a sector when it is necessary to make a complaint to the authority.
“Being united in groups with actors from all over Mexico... it allows you to better advocate for the sector. I think that any fisherman who is not affiliated with any organization can see in this aspect one more reason to join, to be able to mention what is happening and to make the voice of these organizations stronger. We must not stop demanding that the government do one of its main jobs, which is to maintain peace and security for citizens,” Rosiñol said.
What the fishing industry is currently experiencing can be extended to other economic sectors and to the rest of society, so for Rosiñol it is important that all people come together to demand a life and work in peace.
“I am very concerned because violence is evolving. Experiencing violence as a fishing sector is worrying, but it is even greater to know that this can be extended to the rest of society, whether or not we are currently in the fishing industry, and that is where I think we should all demand to be able to live in peace and to be able to carry out our activities,” said Rosiñol.
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