Mexico's CONAPESCA Tackles Shrimp Smuggling with Interagency Operations

The National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA) in Mexico is maintaining a permanent dialogue with shrimp aquaculture producers and related agencies to combat illegal shrimp imports. Acting on the direction of President Claudia Sheinbaum and CONAPESCA head Rigoberto Salgado Vázquez, the commission has held monthly work tables with customs, the National Guard, Senasica, Cofepris, and the ministries of Economy and Finance.

From 12 May to 9 June, joint inspections seized more than 1,000 tons of seafood lacking proper documentation, including 64 tons of farmed shrimp in Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos (Jalisco), 28.4 tons of shrimp at Mexico City’s Nueva Viga, and additional catches of blue shark, lobster tail and other fish at sites in Guanajuato and the Central Market of Mexico City. CONAPESCA also promotes domestic consumption of Mexican seafood through the “México Sabe a Mar” campaign on social media.

These measures aim to protect local producers, ensure food safety, and sustain the country's aquaculture sector, which recorded 269,694 tons of shrimp production in 2025.