Tabasco promotes an aquaculture production program in floating cages. Although hundreds of beneficiaries have joined, fishing leaders point out that the program does not fully support this sector.
“More than anything else it's a social program, it's not a fishing program. However, it is paying with wool from the fishing sector. It's advertised as a show, but what's least there are are fishermen. They are people who supported the campaign, friends of the servant of the nation, or who have never really been in touch with fishing, but who had a body of water nearby and met the conditions,” said Joaquín Madrigal, president of the fishermen's cooperative El Faro, in Centla.
Pescando Vida has 548 million pesos this year from the Secretariat of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Development (Sedafop). By May, it had executed 176 million pesos, according to a request for information made by Causa Natura Media.
Beneficiaries receive cages that they put in rivers and nurseries. Photo: Ricardo Miranda.
The program stipulates the delivery of four cages with Nilotic tilapia fry to 2,500 beneficiaries in the municipalities of Centla, Jonuta, Emiliano Zapata and Nacajuca. Each cage is intended to produce half a ton of fish meat at a price of 30,000 pesos each in the market.
This would amount to 120,000 pesos in 12 months for each producer, of which they have to save enough to reinvest in this type of production. To be a beneficiary, the program merely requires filling out an application for support, official identification, proof of CURP and proof of address.
In an interview with Causa Natura Media, the Tabasco Undersecretary of Fisheries, Guillermo Priego, explained that this Sedafop program expanded the base of beneficiaries beyond fishing, in accordance with the vision of Governor Javier May.
It is a model that replicates the federal programs initiated by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, such as Sowing Life, in the rotation of fruit trees.
“We came here to this office in the commission of our governor and on the first day I had it because obviously I had all the leaders and presidents of all the cooperatives here and all because with pressure from us we are going to be the beneficiaries. And our governor instructed us nothing more and nothing less, as we have done in all the projects that I have had to accompany him, which is to go straight to the territory. Every leader who offered us support, of course, we listened to them because they are people who are immersed and who have done a great job for the sector. But we told him: 'yes, but we are going to your community'”, he stressed.
In these communities surrounding rivers, meetings were held that led to the formation of lists of beneficiaries, which were made gradually, the official said. The intention is to take advantage of the state's freshwater potential.
“As a state with so much fresh water, it has a very significant production potential. What has happened? There have been programs that promote extraction, fishing, which is not a bad thing, but Tabasco has come the time when this extraction, because if you share with most of the fishermen, they agree that it has already been enough to substantially reduce production. Now our governor comes and asks us, so let's do something for all these people who are in this sector. The solution a little bit like they say 'what comes easy' is to say: we are going to promote aquaculture,” Priego said.
Priego detailed the progress of the Pescando Vida program. Photo: Ricardo Miranda.
The state delivers the cages, the fry and the supplies for fattening. In addition, monthly support of 5,000 pesos, that is, 60,000 pesos in a year so that the beneficiaries can continue producing while they still do not see the profits from the sale of tilapia.
Although he accepts that the program has strengths, Madrigal fears that the state production of the 10,000 new producers, over four years, will affect lifelong fishermen.
“There is unfair competition. We as fishermen have to comply, for example, annually with the payment of registration certificates, permit renewal, a series of procedures that the government requires of us: paying for the treasury, workers; and not for them. Everything is being given to them free of charge,” said Joaquín Madrigal.
Madrigal, is president of the El Faro Cooperative. Photo: Ricardo Miranda.
Madrigal added that the beneficiaries do not have a National Fisheries and Aquaculture Registry. This would pose challenges to commercialize the fish later, he said.
In accordance with Article 122 of the General Law on Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, registration is mandatory for any aquaculture producer, except for recreational or domestic fishing.
“You can't be planting fish just because you do, but you have to be coordinated with Conapesca because when you have the production, because you're going to flood the state with mud and you're not going to be able to market it. I would have to go out to other states, precisely, or make agreements,” Madrigal said.
Asked about this possibility, Priego argued that in his experience as a producer, the demand for what is expected from the state is usually higher than its production capacity. Thus, Pescando Vida would reduce this gap.
“There is a very large demand and it is being supplied by the market by producers very far away... So, we have very good prices and it favors local producers. Yes, it is true and it is a reality that supply and demand exist. In other words, and we are in a place where the market is free, production increases, the price is not going to stay the same. That is a reality. But what are we looking for with this production? Be on the record,” he said, since market opportunities have been lost due to the lack of supply that Tabasco producers can provide.
In the surroundings of the Revolución neighborhood in the city of Frontera, capital of Centla, Mrs. Eduviges Hernández sows her tilapia in a nursery in front of her house. She divides her duties as a housewife and producer of 1,500 tilapia.
“Well, they're eating well there, because they gave us the 3rd of June. The material was delivered to us on June 3rd. They spent us here censoring us. Well, for me it's a blessing from God, because we've never had this before,” he said.
Eduviges is one of the 1,800 beneficiaries up to June of this year. Photo: Ricardo Miranda.
As for the Centla cooperative federation, Madrigal points out that none of the fishermen are beneficiaries of Pescando Vida.
“Nobody was considered, the fisherman's heritage is usually his boat, motor, house and there's nothing else. It does not have land with a well or a dredge. Very few people have those conditions. Here in Centla, I may have the most beneficiaries, for example because of the kilometers of river. Those people were the ones who were given the opportunity, even if they weren't in the fishing sector,” Madrigal said.
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