Oceana Mexico Files Injunction to Rescue Mexican Seas Georgina Aldana - Oceana Mexico
go to original February 14, 2022

  • There are no laws to ensure the health of marine resources.
  • For years the fishing sector has been forgotten by Congress and the Federal Executive.
  • 43% of fish species are in poor condition or at risk of collapse.
  • 300,000 artisanal fishermen and their families suffer labor risk, impoverishment and food insecurity.

Oceana filed an injunction against the omission of Congress, since no regulation has been generated to restore overfished species. Thus, Oceana seeks that this legislature rescues fishing and marine abundance in Mexico, to ensure food security, and the welfare, not only of the 300,000 artisanal fishermen and their families, but of millions of Mexicans who have jobs directly and indirectly related to the oceans of our country.

"The General Fisheries Law ignores the sustainability of marine resources and the welfare of fishermen. With such a limited law, CONAPESCA abandoned its mission to guarantee fishing and focuses on giving permits to fish, without knowing if there are fish. This legislature has the opportunity to reform the law and attend to the fishing communities that have been forgotten for years," said Esteban García-Peña, Oceana's Director of Fisheries.

Oceana held meetings with legislators from different parties, who were open to promoting a reform that establishes procedures to restore marine species and guarantees the participation of fishermen, so the organization is optimistic that this legislature will address the historical debt owed to fishing communities in Mexico.

The current General Law of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture favors fishing by volume over the welfare of fishermen. Thus, it forgets the protection of the environment and the restoration of the abundance of marine resources. With this vision, it is not surprising that in Mexico 43% of fish species are overfished, deteriorated or at risk of being lost.

Overfishing, illegal fishing, destruction of ecosystems and water pollution are the main causes of the loss of fish species. All this takes place in a context where neither the Federal Executive nor the legislators have worked on policies or reforms to put an end to the deterioration of fisheries. If this continues, we are on the verge of the desertification of the oceans and the loss of livelihoods and sustenance of fishermen.

See the original at Oceana Mexico

This article was translated from Spanish using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

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