Gulf of California Central Sonora Artisanal Shrimp
Fishery Improvement Project
Last update: November 2012
Species: Pacific blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris)
FIP Scope/Scale: Regional
Fishery Location: Sonora State coast, Gulf of California, Mexico
Date Launched: 2010
Sustainability Information:
For sustainability information in FishSource see: Blue shrimp - Central-South Sonora Gulf of California. See also information on Seafood Watch of Monterey Bay Aquarium and Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood of Blue Ocean Institute
FIP Stage: 3, FIP is encouraging improvements
Current Improvement Recommendations:
- Request the development and implementation of a management plan
- Request the legal verification of fishing gear
- Improve the landings registry and provide information to INAPESCA for stocks evaluations
- Request regulation updated regulations from the fisheries agencies
- Collaborate with INAPESCA on defining proper gear configuration
Background:
Shrimp in the northwest Pacific coast of Mexico, including the Gulf of California (GoC), is the most important fishery in México. It has the highest economic value of landings, averaging $260 million. It is also the highest ranked fishery in terms of number of vessels (750 bottom trawlers and about 16,000 small-scale vessels) and number of direct jobs (37,000 direct jobs and 75,000 indirect ones). It places third in terms of volume with annual landings of approximately 40,000 tons during a season that begins in September and runs through March.
The artisanal Sonora shrimp fishery generates annual landings of 1,485 tons with a value of $9.2 million. The fishery is conducted in 27-foot-long vessels equipped with outboard motors and 2 to 4 1,200-foot entangling nets operated by three fishermen who conduct daylight trips.
The fishery is regulated by the Mexican Official Standard (NOM) and, according to the National Fisheries Institute (INAPESCA) stocks are at maximum sustainable yield and require management strategies to maintain the reproductive biomass, protect the offspring, and avoid an increase the fishing effort. Other concerns present in the fishery include: unauthorized fishing vessels operating and landing and use of fishing gears other than those authorized in the NOM.
Market of Central Sonora Shrimp
The primary market of artisanal Sonora shrimp is the US (90%, primarily frozen in 5-pound blocks) and the domestic market (10%, fresh and frozen in 4-pound blocks).
Beginning of the FIP
In 2010, Unión Regional Guaymas-Empalme, an association that represents 32 cooperatives and 220 vessels, approached SFP to start a fishery improvement project. Initial steps included an evaluation, based upon published information of the fishery status, and then contracting the development of a MSC pre-assessment in order to identify improvements needed.
FIP Objectives:
- Evaluate environmental impacts of the fishery, including bycatch extent and composition and habitat impact
- Improve fisheries management to eliminate IUU landing
- Explore the potential for MSC certification
FIP Participants:
- Union Regional Guaymas-Empalme
Other Partners/Stakeholders:
- Instituto Nacional de la Pesca (INAPESCA)
- Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA)
- Sonora State Government
Progress:
2009
January – June
- MSC pre-assessment visits were conducted by MRAG-Americas.
- MRAG-Americas started preparing the pre-assessment report, SFP started to collect and send available public information.
July – December
- MSC pre-assessment draft report was sent to SFP for review. SFP continued to provide information.
2010
January – April
- SFP conducted meetings with producers and local government to present the MSC pre-assessment report and start the FIP process.
- Unión Regional Guaymas-Empalme, a producers association, agreed to participate in the FIP process, with the objectives mentioned above and the following strategic actions:
o Document the environmental impacts of the fishery
o Request the authorization of the fishing gear used by the producers
o Reduce IUU
o Improve the landings registration and provide landings information to INAPESCA for stock evaluation.
May – December
- SFP, with WWF and Pronatura (a Mexican environmental organization), contracted MRAG-Americas to develop a chain of custody for the different artisanal shrimp FIPs in order to reduce IUU and improve landings records.
2011
January – June
- FIP conducted meetings with INAPESCA and CIBNOR to develop the research protocol to evaluate the fishery’s environmental impacts to be implemented during the 2011–12 season.
July – December
- INAPESCA-Guaymas and local producers implemented a bycatch monitoring program to identify the species and volume composition.
- CONAPESCA updated the fishery regulation, Mexican Official Standard (NOM-002), and published it for public comment.
2012
January – March
- INAPESCA-Guaymas and local producers implemented a bycatch monitoring program to identify the species and volumes composition. This was a continuation of the bycatch monitoring program started in 2011.
- Detailed workplan for 2012 publicly available.
April – June
- Report on the fishery environmental impacts finished by INAPESCA and CIBNOR with the following highlights:
o 56 species identified in the bycatch
o Finfish species is the most diverse group in the bycatch
o Swimming crab is the most abundant species in the bycatch
o One individual of Miycteroperca jordani (Endangered (EN) (A2d+3d), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group) in one fishing haul, with frequency of occurrence of 0.003 per 1,000 hauls
o Average bycatch ratio (shrimp:byctach) of 1:0.5 (Range 1:0.28 to 1:10.5).
July – September
- CONAPESCA published in August 2012 the Carta Nacional Pesquera 2012 with the stocks status report.
- Management plan development process started with an initial meeting in late September.
- INAPESCA/CIBNOR final report translated to English and publicly available.
Click here for a comprehensive description of FIP results
FIP Contact : If you would like more information about the FIP or wish to support the FIP, please contact SFP
