By José Antonio Pérez
The Covid-19 coronavirus economic crisis is already hitting the fishing community of Puerto Peñasco, with a drop in seafood purchases despite fish being both healthy and accessible for the majority of the population.
Ernesto Gastélum González, diver and member of the Intercommunity Coastal Group (GIR) of the Puerto Peñasco-Puerto Lobos fishing corridor, specified the current crisis is impacting the entire fishing sector across the country, in part due to governmental recommendations for people to stay in their homes.
In Puerto Peñasco, tourism, which is a large consumer of sea products, has ceased and therefore fishing plants, restaurants, and even street side vendors have stopped buying.
Gastélum González agreed people should not leave their homes if not necessary, though it is fundamental to keep in mind that fish and seafood are a health source of nutrients and ingredients that strengthen the immunological system – and at accessible prices.
Most people in Puerto Peñasco have a fisherman nearby, or the family of a fisherman, who can deliver seafood products to their home. Gastélum González urges people to stay home, though not stop consuming valuable fish products while helping to sustain this important part of our community.