INAPESCA Will Update National Fisheries Charter Every Two Years

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) reported that, starting this year, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute (INAPESCA) will be in charge of updating the National Fisheries Charter (CNP) every two years. 

The elaboration of the document will be carried out with the participation of the other administrative units of SADER and through the contributions of the academic and productive sectors. Finally, all information provided will have to be revised by the Scientific Technical Advisory Committee of INAPESCA.

The CNP provides information on where and when to fish as well as how much can be fished without altering the ecological balance of aquatic ecosystems. It also indicates the most appropriate way to extract susceptible harvesting species in waters under federal jurisdiction.

The document contains a general header and is divided into seven sections. The heading includes the name of the fishery, an image of the fishing system, the main fishing areas, the percentage of catch per species by state, a representative image of important species and a map containing the spatial representation of the distribution of those species. Furthermore, the document features both the common and scientific names of target species, as well as the description of the fishing area and fishing units.

In Mexico, 300,000 families depend on fishing as their main economic activity. In recent years, however, fishing has faced challenges including overfishing. According to Oceana, 43 percent of fish species in Mexico are at risk due to this issue, as well as the lack of adequate public policies that help regulate illegal fishing. In this regard, the CNP provides valuable information on regulations and instruments. 

CNP is also a useful guide for authorities to resolve requests for concessions and permits for fishing activities. Moreover, the CNP is an easy-to-read, public-access document that allows people to stay informed about the management of fishing activities in Mexico.  

In the last CNP, 21 fact sheets of the main marine and freshwater species of commercial importance were updated. These updates reflect the changes that fisheries have gone through, as well as the status of valuable species populations. Of the 21 updated sheets, four correspond to the Pacific coast, 15 to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea and two to inland waters.

Thanks to the dynamism of fisheries, the updates on the CNP ensure people can observe the fishing sector’s fluctuations.