Fishing Regulations in Mexico
Mexican fishing laws:
Mexico has selected nine fish spicies and reserved them exclusively for the activity of sport fishing practiced in the area located within the first 50 nautical miles measured from the sea-shore. Six of these spicies are commonly known as Picudos (billfish), these incluide 4 species of Marlin, Sailfishand Swordfish, in addition to Tarpon fish, Roosterfish and Dolphin fish (also knowas Mahi-Mahi or Dorado).
*Sport fishing permits strictly prohibit any commercial fishing activity or making any monetary gainfrom their use. On-board filleting is also forbidden and catches must be destined for personal consumption or taxidermy mounts.
*It is compulsory for every sport fisherman to have a license to cractice the activity, according to Mexican federal Duty Law.
*Sport fishermen must abide by Federal dispositions regarding minimum sizes, fishing bans and may only use fishing poles, reels lines whit hooks and with or without bait or lures.
*Sport fishing service providers must keep and present when required a fishing log (which is available at the CONAPESCA web site).
*Catches are limited to five fish daily per sport fisherman in freshwaters and ten fish in saltwater, whit the following quota limits per species:
- Not more than five fish of any species.
- Regarding Marlins, Sailfish, Swordfish and Shark, the maximum limit for each sport fisherman will be of one specimen per day; any catch of these species is to be considered equivalent to five specimens of any other.
- In case of tarpon fish, Dolphin fish (Dorado or Mahi Mahi) or Roosterfish, the maximum limit allowed will be two specimens, and will be also equivalent to five of any other species.
VEDAS
Do you know what VEDA is?
It is the time of reproduction of the fishery resources, to guarantee their conservation, exploitation and rational exploitation; in order to avoid the decline and extinction of the species.
What species and when are they in Veda?
Grouper:
February 01 to March 31. Minimum size 50cm
Lobster:
March 01 to June 30. Minimum size 13.5 cm (TAIL).
Octopus:
December 16 to july 31.
Nassau Grouper:
Closed season until further notice.
BILLFISH
The myth of the Peaks, or billfish. In Mexico it is very common to hear that the capture of Picos or Billfish with speargun is illegal, but far from being true. The capture of these animals simply requires different regulations.
Unlike snappers, groupers, barracudas, etc. that it is possible to capture 5 specimens of the same species per fisherman per day, in the case of the Picos, it is only one specimen per boat per day. And in that case, we will not be able to capture any other type of billfish, even if it is of a different species (Marlin, sailfish, swordfish).
It is important that we know all these important regulations, because thanks to them we can enjoy the beautiful Mexican Caribbean Sea for a long time.
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Fisherman´s pact
Although it is legal to hunt the billfish, there are always different opinions regarding its capture, so to maintain peace among all the fishermen of the riviera, this Fishermen's Pact was formed, in which given the case that a billfish be captured, it should be with the objectives of using it for taxidermy, do not sell meat, therefore only for own consumption, of course the animal must be an adult and always remembering that we can only capture 1 billfish
