Northwest Mexico Stakeholders Commit to Stronger Fisheries Action

At the IV Regional Festival on Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, participants committed to deepening cooperation, sharing technical expertise and advancing responsible resource management across Northwest Mexico. The event brought together authorities from all three levels of government—including National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commissioner Rigoberto Salgado Vázquez—along with academic institutions, NGOs and private-sector representatives.

Sessions addressed a wide range of industry priorities, including multilateral sustainable-fisheries planning, market challenges and opportunities, the value of small-scale shrimp fisheries, community marine-coastal territories, women’s participation, oyster entrepreneurship, best practices, technological innovation in fishing gear and the professionalization of cooperatives. Nearly a dozen NGOs participated, along with institutions such as SADER, SEMARNAT, CONANP, IMIPAS, UNAM, CIBNOR and the Sonora Aquaculture Institute. State authorities—including Nayarit’s secretaries of rural development and economy—also took part.

Alma Rosa García Juárez, Baja California’s secretary of fisheries and aquaculture and president of the National Association of Aquaculture and Fisheries Authorities (ANTAP), stressed the importance of regional collaboration among Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora and the two Baja Californias. “We have great blessings, and the sea gives us great wealth, even though much of the peninsula and the region are deserts,” she said in her closing remarks. She noted that the festival originated from an agreement among state governors to strengthen support for artisanal fishers and small-scale aquaculture producers.

The festival has previously been held in Puerto Peñasco, Mexicali and La Paz, with support from CEDO Intercultural. Its next edition will take place in Sinaloa, where state authorities in June presented the State Climate Action Plan for Fisheries and Aquaculture—the first in Mexico to integrate climate-adaptation measures directly into fisheries and aquaculture management.

A central component of the plan is the development of a regional climate model to forecast species migrations and extreme weather events. Officials say the tool will help fishing communities adapt routes and techniques, preventing overfishing of vulnerable species as ocean conditions shift. The plan also calls for expanded offshore surveillance, adaptive co-management of at-risk species through flexible closed seasons, and educational campaigns promoting food sovereignty.

In collaboration with the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fishing (CONAPESCA), the strategy also includes strengthened guidelines for sustainable sport fishing, such as barbless hooks, catch-and-release practices and improved handling of endangered species. The measures aim to align Sinaloa’s sport-fishing sector with international sustainability standards while supporting local tourism economies.