Illegal fishing is one of the constant problems in Mexico's seas. Thus, urgent care represents one of the biggest challenges for federal authorities, according to Rodrigo Elizarrará, CEO of the consulting firm Humint.
Despite the fact that there are efforts coming mainly from civil society to counteract this problem affecting fishing communities and marine ecosystems, for Elizarrará these are isolated works that will not be enough if there is no greater attention from the responsible authorities.
At the beginning of the current administration led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, in an interview with Causa Natura Media, the consultant and analyst on issues of the blue economy, warns that the country is lagging behind in the fight against illegal fishing and, therefore, also in terms of sustainable fishing.
In this regard, Elizarrará suggests that before talking about sustainability, illegal fishing must be addressed: “As long as we don't take it seriously, until it is resolved and inspection and surveillance actions are carried out, there will be no progress; and we cannot talk about sustainability if illegal fishing is not solved.”
Most affected species in Mexico
Globally, it is estimated that illegal fishing accounts for 20 percent of the total catch. However, in Mexico that percentage amounts to approximately 40 percent, according to the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca). Among the fisheries most affected by fish washing are snails, crab, sea cucumber, lobster, shrimp, huachinango and crab, as indicated by Oceana in 2024 reports.
In the specific case of the Gulf of California, there are seven species that have the greatest impact from illegal fishing, such as crab, shrimp, shark, callus, cucumber and sardine. However, the consultant indicates that other fisheries are affected. “This is the case of the totoaba, the vaquita marina or the sea cucumber, which ended up being wiped out due to lack of actions and regulations. We can also talk about Dorado in the area of Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Nayarit. Another more menacing species is the grouper, and octopus and lobster are heading in that direction,” he describes.
Source: Conapesca
Open data from Conapesca show that between 2010 and 2022, 3,235 complaints were made nationwide related to illegal fishing, with an average of 249 complaints per year, the states with the highest incidence being Tamaulipas (143), Veracruz (197), Campeche (136) and Yucatán (326).
Disclaimer of responsibilities
Rodrigo Elizarrarán highlighted the importance of clarifying responsibility for who should prevent, sanction and counteract illegal fishing, since until now there is a separation of responsibilities between Conapesca and the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar).
Source: Conapesca.
“There is a lack of interest on the part of the authorities because illegal fishing is in a legal limbo and no one attends to it, it seems that Conapesca is not interested and neither is Semar. No one watches and no one punishes,” he adds.
Although there are other agencies that can address the issue, such as the Federal Attorney's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the state fisheries secretariats, consultant Rodrigo warns that their economic resources are insufficient to combat illegal activity, which generates impunity in a context of lack of inspection and surveillance.
“The budget cuts of the dependencies do not allow for a greater effort to carry out coastal surveillance and then there is no way to combat the problem. Resources are needed for the implementation of public policies that allow for trained personnel to address the problem, placing greater emphasis on areas where there is a greater incidence,” he says.
For Elizarrará, it is also important that laws are rigorous and applied to punish those involved in this activity, since the situation has worsened so much that at the end of 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States gave a negative rating to Mexico for illegal fishing and practices harmful to protected species. 
Source: Conapesca
Another point to consider is that agencies must improve communication with each other and carry out coordinated work together with local authorities, even beyond the agreements that are made and signed on a regular basis.
In addition to surveillance, the consultant states that existing laws should deter illegal fishing by prosecuting the people responsible for carrying it out, but at the same time, generate useful information from those who file complaints and it is possible for the authorities to follow up.
So, the federal government's biggest challenge is to identify the spots where there is the most illegal fishing in Mexico, to increase surveillance, to place emphasis on complaints, to sanction and follow up on cases, he said.
“As much as we do measures and good practices, we add traceability and fish as it should be fished, whenever there is a significant percentage of illegal fishing, which we cannot quantify and that we have the figures in a gray box, it will prevent us from knowing if we are doing the rest right,” Elizarrarán points out.
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