Guardians of the Sea: Yucatecan Women Protect What the Mexican State Forgot

- In Yucatán, only 1.16% of officially registered fishermen are women. However, they are the ones who lead marine conservation efforts in communities such as Celestún, San Felipe and Rio Lagartos. - Yucatán leads the number of complaints for illegal marketing of fish products, accounting for more than 32% of the national total. Between 2009 and 2024, more than 4500 tons of illegal fishing were seized in that state. - The lack of institutional oversight and the lack of budget for control measures have led women to organize themselves voluntarily to defend their marine territory. - To fulfill their surveillance and monitoring functions, they have been trained in diving, drone management and data analysis.