In an effort to diversify sources of income and reduce pressure on the fishery for ax callus, NOS Sustainable Northwestthe Fishermen's Organization Rescuing the Inlet (OPRE) and Fasol A. C. are driving in La Paz an inclusive project for the sustainable pot fishing.

Silvia RamirezCoordinator of NOS Sustainable NorthwestThe project is being developed by a group of six fishermen, most of them over 60 years of age, who have the experience and skill to catch the fish. potThe fish have been consumed for years, and this activity requires special knowledge for handling and filleting.

The approach now is to develop it as a productive activity, from which they can generate additional income and lower the fishing effort in the callo de hacha. "It is a project that arises at the initiative of the fishermen's group and that NOS is supporting, as part of the productive diversification process for fishermen," he explained.

Promoting sustainable fishing

One of the main characteristics of the project is the use of traps to capture the botete, which allows the selection of the specimens suitable for commercialization and the return to the environment of those that are not suitable, in order to preserve the population, commented Silvia Ramírez.

In addition, the project focuses on promoting the legality of this activity, operating under current permits and managing the catch in a responsible manner.

"It is a resource that is caught with a flake fishing permit; within the group there are fishermen that belong to two cooperatives, one of them has its permit in force and the other is in the process of updating it," he said.

A product with high potential

Not so many years ago, when there was an abundance of species in the fishing grounds of the northwest of MexicoThe bycatch was discarded and was wasted because it contained tetrodotoxin in its liver.

At La PazThe consumption of this product is limited to the families of those fishermen who know how to fillet it, so although its meat is very tasty and nutritious, it is not a very commercialized resource, commented the NOS Coordinator.

"The meat of the botete is delicious and it is of better nutritional quality than other species of fish, it really has many advantages. The important thing is that there is the ability to fillet it. Here in La Paz it is not consumed commercially and that is a great opportunity," he added.

The six fishermen participating in this project have the experience for the safe handling of this species and that knowledge acquired over many years is part of the value that the boat they market will have, he stressed.

"It is necessary to generate a market that recognizes the experience and ability to safely fillet these fish and to make this product known to consumers."

This project in which they join forces NOS Sustainable Northwest, OPRE y Fasolrepresents a step towards more sustainable fishing practices and an opportunity to promote the value of the traditional skills of local fishermen, while seeking to diversify the economy in this sector.

Project objectives

• Promote pot fishing in order to reduce the effort towards scallops.
• Generate an economic alternative for elderly fishermen and take advantage of their experience.
• Generate good fishing practices with the use of traps for catching botete. 
• Promote legal and sustainable boat fishing.