Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The Riviera Maya Hotel Association and The Seas We Love are celebrating the categorizing of sargassum as a fishery product. Toni Chaves President, President of the Hotel Association, says the categorization is a turning point for sargassum use.
“This recognition, supported by IMIPAS research and validated by Conapesca and Semarnat, represents a turning point in the transition of sargassum from an environmental threat to a valuable raw material. It is a decisive step toward its productive use,” said Chaves.
The Riviera Maya Hotel Association and the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council reiterated their commitment to continue promoting a comprehensive model for the containment, collection, recovery and marketing of sargassum.
Ignacio Muñoz, CEO of The Seas We Love, said that for the first time in Mexico’s history, sargassum has ceased to be a waste product and has become an officially recognized resource within the national fisheries policy.
“This opens the door to a new marine economy that will generate green jobs, sustainable investment and legal certainty for its collection and processing ,” he stressed.
He said that the new categorization in the National Fisheries Charter will enable the issuance of commercial fishing permits for sargassum, moving from the current restricted “promotional fishing” scheme to a broader and more competitive regime.
Likewise, it will provide legal certainty for investors by establishing a clear legal and technical framework regarding its status, fishing zones, authorized vessels and management strategies, which will unlock industrial value-added projects such as those led by The Seas We Love.
Ignacio Muñoz added that its publication will facilitate fisheries management of the resource and pave the way for the development of the Sargassum Fisheries Management Plan with the participation of the productive, academic and government sectors.
Furthermore, its recognition as a strategic biomass validates its potential for the production of fertilizers, biogas, biomethane, sustainable aviation fuel and bioproducts such as construction materials, food supplements, and more, aligned with the circular economy model promoted by the federal government.
“This new recognition represents a major step forward for the Mexican Caribbean and a national milestone in sustainable ocean management,” he said.
In August, the Government of Mexico incorporated sargassum as a fishing resource with development potential in the National Fisheries Charter. The classification was made official August 6 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRICULTURA) with a publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF).
