Tabasco Receives First Batch of 3.5 Million Oyster Seeds

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), through the Mexican Institute for Research in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (IMIPAS), and the Government of Tabasco delivered the first 3.5 million oyster seeds. Authorities aim to deliver a total of 9.8 million under the Fishing Life Initiative.

Officials from the Tabasco Aquaculture Innovation and Technology Transfer Center (CITTAT) say that the agreement will also promote aquaculture production, research, technological development, and knowledge transfer to benefit local aquaculturists. “Tabasco is, without exaggeration, a national leader in the resources invested in aquaculture projects. No other state is allocating the same amount as the state government is today, which is appreciated by the sector,” says Eduardo Mendoza, Director of Aquaculture Research,  IMIPAS.

Mendoza says that this first delivery marks the start of a strategic project: “We expect to continue with future deliveries over the next few years. We are working with oysters now, but we are also developing projects with tilapia, which are equally important.” 

Guillermo Priego, Tabasco’s Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, says that the state has a strong aquaculture vocation, with more than 4,000 km of rivers and over 30,000 ha of coastal lagoons. “But we need the most important input: quality biological seeds. That is why we turned to IMIPAS, and today we celebrate this first specific agreement that gives us access to these seeds,” he says.

Priego adds that the oyster production will position Tabasco as a leading producer. He estimated the production value will exceed MX$600 million (US$31.9 million) and that more than 2,500 people will benefit in the initial stage, with annual expansion reaching over 10,000 workers in the aquaculture sector.