Sinaloa.- In a scenario in which most fishing states of the country maintain abandoned to the sectorthe international organization Oceana, based in Mexico, recognized that Sinaloa shows knowledge and commitment to the topic of fishing and has already established important priorities to strengthen the activity.
The director of the non-governmental organization, Renata Terrazas, indicated for Debate that they will be able to work together, possibly, on issues of scientific production and public policies.
It should be noted that Oceana has declared the need for the Mexican Government, including the authorities responsible for overseeing foreign trade and foreign relations, to participate in the fight against illegal fishing and the protection of the Mexican fishing sector which represents jobs and significant income for the Mexican economy, especially given the recent restrictions implemented by the United States, the main export market.
Commitment
Renata Terrazas, director of Oceana in Mexico, highlighted that the organization held a meeting with the Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Sinaloa, Flor Emilia Guerra, and the Undersecretary César Julio Salcedo and “with great pleasure” indicated that they saw knowledge and commitment about the fishing sector with a profound vision of what they want to do for the fishermen in Sinaloa.
Read more: High seas fishermen will insist on reducing the price of diesel in northern Sinaloa
The also political scientist, with a specialization in public policies, indicated that the officials of this state recognize that the Secretariat is not just a place where subsidies and support for programs are given, but that they can do much more for fishing.
“At Oceana we receive this with great pleasure, given that what we have found at the national level is an abandonment of the fishing sector, a retreat from Conapesca itself and we see with great joy that there are authorities, there are governments that are taking steps forward, defending the interests of the fishermen,” he said.
Renata Terrazas added that during the meeting identified three Conapesca priorities in Sinaloa, the first, as indicated, is generate information on the fishing sector in a state that allows construction a fishing census order fishing, answer questions such as: who are the fishermen? Where are they fishing? What are they fishing for? create public policies who can support them.
The second priority, as explained by the director of Oceana, is restore marine ecosystems so that there are more fish in the sea, since day after day the fishermen begin to see that they arrive with less product and that directly affects their pockets.
“In the Secretariat they shared with us that they identify this as a priority, the need to restore the fisheries so that there are more fish in the sea,” he commented.
Thirdly, he stated that he is very clear that we must bet on the fight against illegal fishing as a priority for the fishing sector and they plan to invest time and effort in inspection and surveillance, “we see that with great pleasure,” he insisted.
Conapesca Sinaloa
Flor Emilia Guerra, Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Sinaloa, indicated for Debate that any organism, organization or citizen in general that is interested in fishing in Sinaloa, for the work that is done in the Secretariat are welcome, particularly if coincidences are found to work on and strengthen them.
She shared that an example of this was the organization Oceana Mexico, which, according to the official, was interested in knowing the objective, the direction of the Rubén Rocha Moya administration and knowing what project Conapesca is going to promote. Flor Emilia Guerra added that as head of Conapesca in Sinaloa, in addition to strengthening social programs, she will seek to strengthen or promote the area of innovation and research.
“And that is where we agree with Oceana, that we urgently need a fishing census, we urgently need to enter the restoration of fisheries, make a fishing order and generate sustainable fishing and aquaculture,” he said.
For her part, Renata Terrazas, director of Oceana in Mexico, the organization dedicated to the protection of oceans for the recovery of fisheries, promotion of clean energy and creation of marine protected areas, indicated that with Conapesca Sinaloa they agreed to have subsequent meetings.
“But we have already begun to outline what we can support them with, what Oceana can contribute from scientific production and the creation of public policies and in a government that shows us a political will to transform the fishing sector and fight for the interests of the fishermen,” he said.
State official Flor Emilia Guerra highlighted for Debate that the governments have a historical debt with the fishing and aquaculture sector, where there is always talk of rescuing the countryside and he considered that fishing, the seas, should also be rescued.
The foregoing, not only supporting with economic incentives the fishermen and aquaculturists who follow, such as the programs of marine motors, repopulation of reservoirs, Bienpesca, but also turning around and giving the research, causing biologists to project what they see being needs and seeks the help of civil society in this type of action and that is where Oceana comes in.
“We must not be scared of civil organizations, but rather we must be accompanied by them and look for those coincidences and strengths that help us generate well-being for, in this case, the fishing sector and the aquaculture sector,” he said.
Government priorities in fishing
Questioned about the current panorama of the sector and a few weeks after taking the reins of the Secretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Flor Emilia Guerra indicated that the most urgent thing for the state is to know how many fishermen there are and what their situation is, that is, a census, but accompanied by a socioeconomic study of the fisherman to know how he will be served.
“We have a very vague X-ray, because the fishing and aquaculture sectors, like many others, have always been the riot of politicians, of electoral campaigns, and ‘I promise you and I give you, not enough, so that you continue to need me'”, He launched.
For this reason, he pointed out that he will seek to make them autonomous and not only generate the tools for a good production of the different types of shellfish and fish that are available in the state, but also generate well-being in general, with public policies that are transversal. with the other secretariats.
He recalled that in fishing communities there are problems, such as addictions, school dropouts or teenage pregnancies.
“A comprehensive project where the fisherman is not only strengthened in his activity, but in everything that surrounds him, because due to the lack of support in his activity, other problems arise.”
Flor Emilia Guerra saw as positive that various producers ask for biologists to help them in fishing, proof that they are eager to be taught, trained and not only depend on the social support that the Government provides, but also want the research and innovation.
In November 2021, Oceana warned that 22,512 fishermen are registered in Sinaloa and that more than 54 percent of them are in the municipalities of Ahome and Mazatlán. Oceana estimates that if the current conditions of overfishing continue, fishing species could deteriorate up to 50 percent, which could affect up to 75 percent of the fishing volume.
Thus, in Sinaloa, poverty among the most vulnerable fishermen, approximately 18,500, could increase by almost 50 percent. For the international organization based in Mexico, if the relevance of fishing in Sinaloa continues to be ignored, the most vulnerable fishermen will be condemned to poverty.
vulnerable
Given the precarious situation in which an important part of the fishermen in Sinaloa live, Oceana has considered that any negative change, no matter how minor, could seriously affect their income. Furthermore, he explained that the reduction in the number of fish in the ocean sends large numbers of fishermen directly into poverty.
“It is important to recognize that with an income of 1,800 pesos a month, 50 percent of the fishermen are already below the poverty line, any shock would simply increase the precariousness of their lives,” the agency said.
In Sinaloa, in general, the official state of the resources used is cataloged as “at the maximum sustainable yield (MRS)”, while the shark, crab, sea scale and clam fisheries are in “overfishing”.
Although all the coastal municipalities show overexploitation in at least one of their fisheries, special attention should be paid to those where the rates of poverty and marginalization threaten a large part of the fishermen due to the depletion of the most important species. This risk is aggravated by the lack of actions to ensure the recovery of damaged species.
If the government of Sinaloa wants to ensure the subsistence of the poorest fishermen, it must demand that the federal government guarantee the recovery of overexploited species, for which it proposes four actions. The first would be to force the intervention of the authorities for the restoration of overexploited species; the second, establish mandatory fishery restoration plans; thirdly, to recognize the species in poor conditions through the National Fisheries Charter, and lastly, to ensure the participation of fishermen in the restoration process.
The data
Universities
With the purpose of promoting innovation and research in the fishing sector, Flor Emilia Guerra shared that they have as allies the state universities and the National Polytechnic Institute Ciidir Campus Guasave.
Resource
The Secretariat of Conapesca in Sinaloa indicated that despite the fact that the budget was reduced, they will work to carry out important projects and hope that the next years of government can increase.
To understand…
US sanctions on Mexico
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that as of February 7, 2022, Mexican-flagged fishing vessels are prohibited from entering United States ports.
Read more: They rule out affectation in agriculture due to low temperatures in North Sinaloa
This measure is imposed as a result of NOAA’s biannual report to the United States Congress where Mexico received a negative certification for illegal fishing activities in US waters, in addition to incidental capture of sea turtles, species in danger of extinction. This sanction occurs only three months after the US sanction on Mexican shrimp was lifted.
#Recognize #commitment #challenges #Sinaloa #fishing #sector