Because it is a high-quality product and highly valued in the Asian market, they are seeking to have more and more restaurants in Baja California include it on their menus, stated Alma Rosa García Juárez, head of the Baja California Fisheries and Aquaculture Secretariat (Sepesca BC).
She commented that the geoduck clam is present in both the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, making Mexico a blessed country to have two species along its coasts.
She explained that it has been produced in Baja California for more than 26 years and is exported to the Asian market, where it is highly prized, and is one of the main activities in San Felipe.
Today, unfortunately, there are other species that cannot be harvested as they were in the past. This species lives buried in the sand at a depth of approximately one meter and does not interfere with the activities of the vaquita marina or the totoaba.
This has led to the existence of a fishery, which continues to provide employment for maritime workers, families from San Felipe, divers, lifeguards, and fishermen who dedicate themselves to this.
Some Mexican restaurants already have the geoduck clam on their menus; however, he hopes that more restaurants will join in to continue taking advantage of this seafood product, because it is a source of pride for Mexico.
“It was not known that this animal, which lives buried in the sand, existed in our seas. A diver who goes to the seabed doesn’t see it because it lives approximately one meter below the seabed. However, these animals are very long-lived, they live for many years, and in the Upper Gulf of California, we have the conditions for their development.”
This is a 100% Baja Californian product, although there is another species that reproduces in the Pacific Ocean. However, due to the sea conditions, it is more feasible to harvest the one from the Gulf of California, where they have a higher production rate, he noted.
“As Secretary of Fisheries for Baja California, I am very much in favor of continuing to consume this product.”
The head of the state’s Fisheries Department invited Baja Californians to Cocina La Baja at Estero Beach in Ensenada, a fabulous setting on the Pacific Ocean, where more than 50 restaurants will be participating.
The chefs, who are very creative, and the attendees will be able to sample dishes made with Baja California products, both from the sea and from farms.
It is a family event, with many activities that can be enjoyed together with children, García Juárez explained.
Source: oem
