For decades, the sea was the scene of intensive shark fishing in coastal communities of San Felipe, Rio Lagartos, El Cuyo and Celestun, Yucatan. But today only dogfish are caught, a species relegated from being the main economic income of fishermen.
One of the cooperatives that exemplifies this abandonment is “Manuel Cepeda Peraza” in Rio Lagartos. Although he has had shark fishing permits for more than four decades, 20 years ago he decided to stop shark fishing.
“There were big ships that were dedicated to that, but there came a time when everything ended. At present, there is no one on this side who catches shark, although we still have permits, especially because there are months in which we manage to fish for dogfish, but it is no longer profitable,” shared Rommel Alcocer Díaz, a fisherman who is a member of the cooperative.
Large sharks are no longer fished in the area. Source: Diego Delso.
For years, anglers used bottom longlines, an artisanal fishing technique that involves the use of long, thick strings to catch sharks.
This respectful relationship with the sea earned them the state “Exemplary Cooperative” award in 2024, a recognition of low-scale fishing practices that keep traditions alive without jeopardizing ecosystems.
Rommel Alcocer shared that fishing for sharks is a waste of time and money because catching a large specimen requires physical effort, despite the fact that their meat sells poorly and they only buy a kilo for 20 pesos in local establishments, when the same amount of grouper meat reaches up to 200 pesos per kilogram.
“They only buy a few restaurants in the area and it's not worth everything you spend on gas, effort, time,” added Josué Canul Reyes, a fisherman in Celestún.
The fisherman from this port confirmed that his father and grandfather had to fish, on one outing, up to a ton of sharks more than 25 years ago. The pressure that this fishery experienced in that season meant that great sharks began to become scarce.
“At the time, fishing stopped because there were no sharks anymore. Now there is a population again, yes we see them often when we go fishing, but we no longer catch them because there is no one to buy their meat,” said Josué Canul.
This situation is replicated in other cooperatives in eastern Yucatecan. In San Felipe, the Pescadores Unidos de San Felipe organization, one of the oldest and largest in the region, brings together 142 members and 94 boats.
Although they had 57 official shark fishing permits, today they concentrate their efforts on more profitable species such as lobster and octopus.
“We just stopped fishing because the shark actually ran out. We finished it. So much was caught that biomass became scarce. At most, restaurateurs buy to sell dog bread, but fishing isn't the same thing anymore,” said Felix Dzib, a member of the group.
By not being caught, the shark population shows recovery. Source: Christopher Doherty.
Trade in fins, a challenge for the government
Fishermen in El Cuyo, in eastern Yucatán, have opted for a more comprehensive management of their resources. Since 2019, they have been collaborating with the WildAid organization and have succeeded in establishing a fishing refuge.
His proposal covers more than 300 square kilometers and includes critical habitats for species such as the “dry cleaner”, the common name of the blue shark (Prionace glauca).
The National Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) establishes only two restrictions for shark species, from May 15 to June 15 and from August 1 to 29 for Tabasco, Yucatán and Campeche.
This translates into 10 months a year of free capture of the shark. An added requirement is the prohibition of flapping (each shark caught must arrive with its fins attached).
However, Alfonso Aguilar Perera, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY), warned that the demand for flaps is still present and represents a challenge for the country's authorities.
“Shark fishing continues because there is a high demand for fins. It's an open secret that the Asian market is an avid consumer of shark fins and Mexico is a supplier. More scientific research is needed to validate origins and markets,” he said.
Shark Stewards works to eliminate the global trade in shark fins, through education and policy change from the United States to Asia, especially in the major import and consumption centers of Malaysia, Singapore and China.
According to research carried out by the group, they confirmed that shark fins are marketed because the cartilage they contain dries and is used as an ingredient in a soup with seafood or chicken broth and herbs. The preparation process makes this dish very expensive and only for a kilogram of fin in China they pay up to 1000 dollars per kilogram.
In Yucatán, where the catch is focused on small species such as game, fishermen are required to document the species and volume, issue arrival notices and fill out logs. However, compliance is not always effective on the part of the authorities.
The Mexican regulatory framework recognizes among the commercial species of the Gulf of Mexico the jaqueton shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), bironche dog (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae), beaked dog (Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus) and tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), among others.
NOM-029-PESC-2006 regulates the use and protection of sharks, with greater emphasis on white, basking, hammerhead and whale sharks.
However, of the more than 100 species present in Mexican waters, only 27 are included in the National Fishing Charter 2025, leaving out many others without specific management measures.
Unlike other regions of the country where there is underreporting and covert sale of threatened species, shark fishing in Yucatán is increasingly scarce and although its market is limited, it lacks traceability.
Oceana studies have shown that products are often marketed under generic names such as “cazón” or even “cod”, which makes it impossible to know with certainty the real species, its origin and its conservation status.
Sharks are key to ocean health. Source: Mayan Sharks.
While the term “dog” corresponds to a specific species, Raúl Enrique Díaz Gamboa, a researcher in the Department of Marine Biology at UADY University, explained that in Yucatán, fishermen use it to refer to any small shark, which dilutes control over what is actually caught.
“You go to any market or supermarket and find a dog, but no one can tell you with certainty what species it is,” said Díaz Gamboa.
One of the most worrying aspects is the systematic disposal of large sharks, especially reproductive species that have no local commercial value.
“We were recently in Rio Lagartos with students and found a very large shark dead on the shore. The fisherman told us that he threw it away because it's not for sale. That's what happens with big ones, they fall on hooks and simply because they're not sold, fishermen discard them,” he mentioned as a risk for various shark species.
Instead, the researcher specified that the fins do find a commercial outlet: “Even if the body is discarded, the fins are sold. And yes, in Yucatán there are also those who participate in that market. As long as there's someone who buys, there's going to be someone who sells. Mexico is among the countries that export fins to the Asian market, but there is no clear data on what proportion comes from Yucatán or under what conditions they are extracted,” he explained.
For Díaz Gamboa, traceability in shark fishing simply doesn't exist in the state. Faced with this scenario, the researcher believes that there is a lack of information campaigns, effective surveillance and a clear differentiation of species.
“Even people on the coast don't really know what they're buying. Neither does the consumer in Mérida. What is needed is not only to prohibit, but to understand how the system works and to seek solutions that do not leave out those who depend on the sea,” he stressed.
The dog has a cultural and dietary link
Yassir Torres Rojas, researcher at the Autonomous University of Campeche, While fishermen claim that they no longer fish for sharks because they refer to the 'big sharks' —known as jaquetones— which are in fact becoming less frequent, however, he stated that catching dogs is sustained.
“The jacket is practically no longer visible. But hunts, which are also sharks, are being caught a lot, because when their natural predators disappear, their populations grow out of control,” explained the specialist.
The dog is a symbol of culture and culinary tradition in Yucatán. Although fishing is occasional, in certain seasons it is part of the fishing activity, under strict management rules.
According to the Statistical Yearbook of Aquaculture and Fisheries 2023, sharks (without specifying which species) and dogfish rank eighth nationally in fish production in Mexico, however, the main producing entities of the species are Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Chiapas, Baja California, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, Sonora, Veracruz and Oaxaca.
One of the main challenges is the way in which temporary restrictions are applied, Torres Rojas said, since they do not consider ecological differences between species.
“Sharks, like turtles, have ecological philopatry—that is, they return to where they were born to reproduce. But not all species do it at the same time. This means that a two-month ban does not necessarily protect all sharks equally,” said the specialist.
Faced with this limitation, he welcomed the fact that the government is promoting fishing refuge areas, since these make it possible to protect specific habitats where a species reproduces.
In addition, Torres's team has carried out research on the traceability of shark fins, especially protected species such as horned species (Sphyrna), at risk according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
“Using stable isotopes and microchemistry, we were able to identify what species and region each fin came from. We were able to differentiate even between protected and unprotected species, and between regions of the country. It's totally feasible to implement a traceability system in Mexico,” he said.
From a biological perspective, traceability means knowing if the resource was captured in a sustainable way, that is, outside the closed season, with an appropriate size and without affecting endangered species.
According to the researcher, hunts are currently not in the threat category because they are widely distributed in the Gulf of Mexico and sexually mature in just 2 or 3 years, unlike other sharks that take more than a decade.
The lack of information differentiated by species prevents authorities and consumers from making informed decisions. It also opens the door to new research to create fisheries management strategies adapted by species and region, which would be more effective than generalized bans.
Torres and his team are working on genetic, microchemical, age, growth and reproduction studies of sharks. Its objective is to provide scientific bases for sustainable fisheries management that allows these species to be preserved without sacrificing the livelihood of coastal communities.
“It's not about prohibiting or punishing, but about making science-based decisions. Sharks have survived more than 300 million years. It would be a shame if their extinction were because of us. If we do sustainable management, we all win,” he said.
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