Fisheries updates: Blue crab season ends in Venezuela and Mexico calls for more funding

In Venezuela, the Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INSOPESCA) has announced the end of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) closed season. The biological protection period, mandated by a Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruling, runs annually from August 15 to October 15. Authorized fishing in the Lake Maracaibo and Gulf of Venezuela regions must adhere to strict technical parameters, including a minimum carapace width of 8 cm and specific limits on nets and longlines. Certain zones, including areas north of the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge, remain under total capture prohibition to protect reproductive biomass.

In Mexico, Federal Deputy Luis Armando Díaz has called for increased funding for the fishing sector in the 2027 Federal Expenditure Budget. While noting an increase in resources for the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), Díaz argued that the current allocation is insufficient as much of it is directed toward the Bienpesca program. He emphasized that strengthening the fishing industry is a matter of social justice and essential for national food sovereignty.