Mexico Establishes Protected Zone for Caribbean Lobster and Local Fishers | Oceana

Victory | February 28, 2025

Mexico Establishes Protected Zone for Caribbean Lobster and Local Fishers

In February 2025, Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries created the El Cuyo Fisheries Refugium to protect the Caribbean spiny lobster fishery in El Cuyo, a small community in Yucatán where nearly half of the population relies on lobster fishing for their livelihoods. The no-take zone will protect the areas where lobsters grow and reproduce, supporting local fishers’ effort to recover the lobster population. This action will directly benefit 691 fishers from El Cuyo. Oceana campaigned for the no-take zone alongside El Cuyo artisanal fishers, providing scientific evidence for the area’s protection and identifying the best location for the no-take zone.