The aquaculture is the future for the production of marine species, because it is necessary to help nature while reducing the pressure on fishing activity, he said. Guillermo Méndez Camacho.

Member of the cooperative Ashy Mangrove and the Fishermen's Organization Rescuing the Inletthe fisherman explained that at the beginning of February 2024 they received 100 thousand seeds of pleasure scallop (Crassostrea corteziensis), and although the results were not what they expected, the project has left them with experiences and lessons that will serve them well in the future.

"Very few have that one and we dared to have it, unfortunately the oyster didn't grow, it died a lot and the one that was left didn't grow," he explained.

The survival rate was only 6 percent and those that survived did not reach commercial size, as they barely reached 3 centimeters. They suspect that the conditions of the inlet and an atypical weather year may have been the cause.

"We sent the oysters to the laboratory for analysis and what they found is that there is no disease. What they found was that they matured at a very early age, there were even some that had already spawned and others that were reabsorbing, but absolutely nothing was found in terms of diseases," he clarified.

Méndez Camacho emphasized that he has learned about oyster farming and although he is still an apprentice, the experience he has acquired indicates that oyster farming can be carried out in Ensenada de La Paz.

"On July 12, Phillipe (Danigo), from Sol Azul, supported us with 10,200 small animals, but they were Japanese oysters, and the day before yesterday I went to do maintenance and a count, and it is going perfectly well," he said.

The fisherman emphasized that in the face of the pressure on fisheries, aquaculture is one of the most important economic alternative communities as well as the communities as a whole. El Manglito.

"If we don't help Mother Nature with aquaculture, she will not be able to help the many fishermen we have, we are too many fishermen and we have to help her in some way," he said.

In his personal case, Méndez Camacho said that he has learned a little about oyster, scallop and catarina clam cultivation, and he shares all this knowledge with his fellow fishermen in the community.

"What this crop was all about was to demonstrate that you can indeed carry out a two-person crop and yes, of course you can carry it out, we have already demonstrated it," he commented.

Convinced that the future lies in aquaculture, Méndez Camacho said that they are in talks to acquire more seed, both of pleasure scallop as Japanese, with the idea of establishing crops both within the Ensenada and on the Bay of La Pazto demonstrate that it is possible to bring these projects to fruition.