The lobster season, which begins this Wednesday, could be ruined by the arrival of sargassum—present at unprecedented levels that even alter sea temperatures—warned Baltazar Gómez Catzín, president of the Quintana Roo Fishing Cooperatives Federation.
Meanwhile, fishermen stated that their daily catch is at risk of spoiling because docking their boats is often difficult; the seaweed accumulates as close as two meters from the shoreline.
Gómez Catzín noted that fishermen in the southern zone—specifically from Punta Herrero, Punta Allen, María Elena, Tulum, and Mahahual—face the highest risk of their catch being affected, as all these cooperatives are contending with a heavy presence of sargassum along the coast.
He highlighted that there are no issues in the deeper waters where fishermen dive for lobster, as the sargassum does not reach those depths. However, they face problems where they place their lobster shelters or traps; the decomposing seaweed raises the sea temperature, which can kill the lobsters, as the species prefers cold water.
Furthermore, due to the dense accumulation of seaweed, boat operators must leave their vessels about 100 meters from the beach and walk “blindly” through the area—which is carpeted in sargassum—risking stings from marine animals or stepping on a crocodile that might attack, given the zero visibility.
He stated that expectations for the lobster season, which begins this Tuesday, are to at least match last year’s very successful figures: a catch of 600 tons of whole lobster (live or dead) and 25 tons of lobster tails. He stated that the 1,500 fishermen harvesting this product in Quintana Roo expect to sell whole, live lobster for between 350 and 400 pesos per kilogram—a price that would allow them to meet all their financial obligations, provided that sargassum does not cause a drop in production.
Meanwhile, fishermen from Puerto Juárez reported that the excess sargassum along the shoreline makes it difficult to bring their catch in, potentially putting the product at risk; consequently, they have called on the authorities to help clear the seaweed, as it is virtually impossible for them to remove it from the beach without assistance.
Source: jornada
