Mexico Trains 1,425 Aquaculture Producers Across 13 States

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), through the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (CONAPESCA), has trained 1,425 aquaculture producers across 128 production units in 13 states, including Nayarit, Michoacan, Colima, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, and Tabasco.

The trainings are part of the National Self-Managed Technical Aquaculture Support Program (PNATAA), which aims to support small-scale producers in tilapia and oyster cultivation, as well as field schools (Escuelas de Campo, ECA) with an aquaculture focus. 

Javier Martínez Cordero, Director General of the Infrastructure Division, CONAPESCA, emphasized that the program is self-managed, aiming to train and build capacities within local communities and ensure the resilience of micro and small production units. Training focuses on tilapia in freshwater and oysters in marine environments, the two flagship species of national aquaculture policy, which collectively produced 67,983t and 30,616t in 2024, respectively.

The initiative is coordinated with state governments, local agents, and SADER field schools, earning positive feedback from the sector for CONAPESCA’s on-the-ground presence. In addition to technical instruction, PNATAA sessions incorporate administrative guidance, including registration in the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Registry, information on the Aquaculture Electricity Subsidy Program, and modules on climate change, gender equality, genetics, health, and data analysis.