Monitoring of the octopus fishery will be stepped up next year and impact illegal fishing. (Photo: L. Eustaquio)

Campeche registers lowest octopus capture in 11 years

MEXICO
Friday, December 18, 2009, 16:00 (GMT + 9)

The Campeche delegate of Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishery and Foods, Benjamin Azar Garcia, warns that the capture of octopus is nearing the brink of collapse if measures are not implemented to prevent the depredation of the resource.

For the official, the cephalopod could disappear in five years, unless inspection and monitoring actions intensify to eradicate illegal fishing.

Some 3,840 tonnes of octopus had been landed through 15 December, when the fishing season finalised, 29.4 per cent less than in 2008, when 5,438 tonnes were fished, according to SAGARPA statistics.

“The capture was the lowest of the last 11 years,” Azar Garcia stressed.

Official data indicated that between 1 August and 10 December, the office of fishing of Isla Arena reported the capture of 490,312 kilograms, almost 40 per cent less than in the same period of 2008 (934,572 kg).

In addition, in Seybaplaya, 883,705 kg were obtained; in Champotonne, 937,695 kg; and in Sabancuy, 108,099 kg.

During the revision of vessels, 342 acts were written up and 1,154 fishing gear devices were seized, among them, diving gear, Hawaiian hooks, hoop bags, and wooden triangles for the capture of shrimp, fins and sacks.

Azar Garcia anticipated that monitoring will be reinforced between January and April 2010, since the resource reproduces in those months.

In Yucatan, one of the most important fisheries of the state, the octopus fishing season also ended. A prohibition was implemented, which will prevail until 31 July of next year.

According to the secretary of Agricultural and Fisheries Promotion of Yucatan, Alexander Menendez Bojorquez, the season closed “with a volume of capture of close to 16,500 tonnes, of which 11,300 tonnes corresponded to Octopus maya and the remainder to octopus vulgaris, which left behind an economic loss of nearly MXN 600 million (USD 47.2 million).”

In terms of furtive fishing, the Yucatan official maintained that "the fishers themselves must be the guardians of the species."

“Using prohibited fishing gear can result in consequences like that which our neighbour state of Campeche experienced during this year, since they did not obtain octopus capture,” he said.

Meanwhile, 9,691 tonnes of Mayan octopus were captured in the state of Yucatan between August and November 2009, whereas 3,389 tonnes were obtained in the same period of 2008, shows SAGARPA data.

From the beginning of the season to this past November some 5,679 tonnes of octopus vulgaris were captured in Yucatan waters, that is, 4,428 tonnes more than in the same period of 2008.

Related article and information:

- SQUID/OCTOPUS MARKET REPORT, 16 December
- Campeche chooses not to extend octopus season

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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