By José Antonio Pérez
Puerto Peñasco’s shrimp fleet is readying to set out once more in search of “pink gold,” with the first day of the deep-sea season scheduled for September 30th, following various other dates opening for coastal and bay shrimp capture.
A press release issued recently by the National Aquaculture and Fishing Commission provided further details for the 2019-2020 shrimp season. Following evaluation of shrimp numbers along the Pacific coast, the National Fishing and Aquaculture Institute (INAPESCA) has determined the following dates for lifting the off-season ban on shrimp capture:
- Sept. 10 – principal Magdalena-Almejas lagoon, as well as San Ignacio lagoon in Baja California Sur
- Sept 15 – estuaries and channels to the north of Magdalena Bay in Baja California Sur
- Sept. 21 – bays in Sonora
- Sept. 24 – lagoons, estuaries, and bays located in north-central and southern Sinaloa, Nayarit, Colima, Jalisco, and the upper Gulf of California.
- Sept. 30 – waters that fall within federal jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, extending from the US Border, through the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), to the border with Guatemala
INAPESCA reported, based on study results concerning distribution, abundance, growth, and migration, they have determined shrimp completed their average reproductive cycle during the off-season (early March through September). They deemed numbers are less than 2018 in the majority of the lagoon and marine systems, yet sizes appear to be similar to last year.
