Costa Maya, Q.R. — The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission announced the start of queen conch fishing in Quintana Roo. The federal agency says in December, four harvesting periods and three closed seasons will begin.
These harvesting seasons are for different species in marine and continental waters of eight states. In the state of Quintana Roo, that open season is on the fishing of queen conch in Costa Maya.
The provisions, endorsed by the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture (IMIPAS), seeks to protect the reproduction, recruitment and growth of species such as the Catarina clam, mullet, scallop, octopus, bobo and caracol rosa or queen conch.
The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) reports that the provisions were made based on the technical opinions issued by the Mexican Institute for Research in IMIPAS, with the aim of protecting the period of reproduction, recruitment and growth of various species.
In Quintana Roo, Conapesca says queen conch fishing run from December 1 to January 31, 2026 in Punta Herrero, north of Mahahual to Bacalar Chico along the Belize border.
Queen conch (Lobatus gigas): Fishing begins at 00:00 hours on December 1, 2025 and ends at 24:00 hours on January 31, 2026 in the Banco Chinchorro area, in Quintana Roo, which includes from Punta Herrero, north of Mahahual, to Bacalar Chico, on the border with Belize.
Around the country, fishing season has begun for scallops and different species of octopus as well as bobo fish.
Scallop (Pinna rugosa, Atrina oldroydii, Atrina maura and Atrina tuberculosa): From 00:00 hours on December 1, 2025 until 24:00 hours on June 30, 2026, it may be captured in Bahía de Kino and adjacent areas of the state of Sonora.
Brown octopus ( Octopus bimaculatus ): In Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, the harvesting period will begin at 00:00 hours on December 1, 2025 and will end at 24:00 hours on July 31, 2026.
Green octopus (Octopus hubbsorum): From 00:00 hours on December 1, 2025 until 24:00 hours on August 31, 2026, this species can be harvested in Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California.
Bobo (Joturus spp.): From 00:00 hours on December 16, 2025 until 24:00 hours on September 30, 2026, the period of use in inland waters of the state of Veracruz will be in effect.
The three closed seasons that have begun as of December 1 include catrina clams and both lisa and liesta mullet fish.
Catarina clam (Argopecten circularis): Capture will be prohibited from 00:00 hours on December 15, 2025 until 24:00 hours on March 31, 2026 in federal waters of the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur.
Lisa and liseta (Mugil cephalus and Mugil curema): In coastal waters of Tamaulipas, including the Laguna Madre and in the northern zone of Veracruz, the ban will be in effect from 00:00 hours on December 1st until 24:00 hours on December 31st, 2025.
Lisa (Mugil cephalus): From 00:00 hours on December 1, 2025 until 24:00 hours on January 31, 2026, the ban will be applied in the coastal areas of the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco.
Conapesca maintains the telephone line 669 915 6913 available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to receive reports of illegal fishing or bad practices in the aforementioned states.
