The solution is not to close our borders to the importation of fish, but to have a comprehensive plan for import substitution: Part one

By Dr Antonio Garza, Director World Aquaculture Society

In recent days there has been talk of banning the importation of fish fillets into Mexico as a measure to counteract the effects generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this is to support local producers, since fish and seafood markets are between 60-70 percent reliant on exports.
 

This temporary measure is one which I believe is convenient and adequate. However, many people have suggested that the import blockade be made permanently, in order to "support local producers." Although I understand this position, as the fishing and aquaculture industry is the sector most affected by the pandemic according to comments from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the solution is not necessarily to close the borders to imports, but perhaps to implement a truly comprehensive plan for import substitution.

First of all, I would like to raise on some notable facts. The first of these is that, in 2017, Mexico imported the equivalent of 375,000 tonnes of live tilapia and base fish combined; while the national production in controlled systems was only 55,000 tonnes. The second is that one of the most important achievements of past aquaculture-oriented administration was to increase the consumption of fish and shellfish from 2012 to 2017 by 3.1 kg-per-capita-per-year, but it is not mentioned that imports contributed to 71 percent to this increase (the equivalent of 2.2 kg-per-capita-per-year). Effectively, it is imports that raised this figure by approximately 238 percent.

The question is not, then, to close the border and stagnate, the real challenge is to go from those 55,000 tonnes to 430 thousand tonnes in local, controlled systems. But not only that, we have to reach this figure with the same or better-quality fish and at the same or lower price than current import rates. The challenge is not only to maintain this constant, but the real challenge is to go from being a country that consumes approximately 12.5 kg-per-capita-per-year to being a country that consumes 20 kg-per-capita-per-year.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

---