According to Bernardo Hernández Guzmán, president of the Veracruz port fishermen’s federation, members of the port have reported an influx of Asian fish that is harming their local economy, as it is cheaper than locally sourced fish. In addition to Asian products, they have also found tilapia coming from Chiapas, and are therefore demanding a fairer price. “For example, the tilapia is brought from Chiapas; they can bring it from other states because here in Veracruz we don’t have the necessary conditions, the fish farms that exist in those states. We are aware of the basa fillet, a fish from Asian countries that they bring here, and it’s another unfair competition that we can’t face,” he asserted. Hernández Guzmán explained that these types of fish tend to be cheaper because the inputs used to catch them in other states or countries, such as gasoline, are less expensive, whereas here they have to invest more in the catch. For this reason, the fisherman said they are demanding a fair price so they can make a profit and continue fishing. “We have an issue with fish prices; we don’t want them to be expensive, but rather to have a fair price for the population. There are no lawsuits,” he concluded.
Source: gobernantes
