Let's consume more domestically produced, sustainable seafood! A Mexican-based, industry-led NGO is working hard to achieve this (Part 2)

Fisheries and Aquaculture Promotion Council (COMEPESCA)
Chairman Citrali Gomez Repe 

Citrali Gomez is the chairperson of COMEPESCA (Consejo Mexicano de Promoción de los Productos Pesqueros y Acuícolas, AC), a Mexican non-profit organization promoting fisheries and aquaculture.Part 1We then spoke with Mr. Gomez about his background, how he started farming rainbow trout in the mountains, and his efforts as the chairman of Come Pesca, leading the Mexican-born sustainable seafood movement "Pesca Con Futuro" (Fisheries for the Future).

In Part 2, we will discuss what Mexico can learn from Japan to revive its ancient fish-eating culture, the price barriers that hinder domestic consumption, and more.IUU FishingWe will discuss traceability initiatives to counter this trend, as well as strategies for mainstreaming sustainable seafood.

The revival of Mexico's fish-eating culture and what we can learn from Japan

--Could you tell me a little more about Mexican food culture? I understand that Mexicans eat a lot of meat, but how do they eat fish?

Mexico has a coastline of over 11,000 kilometers, and many lakes and rivers inland. For generations, even centuries, people have eaten more fish and many insects.

Historically, people in Mexico ate more fish. © Ignacio Urquiza

--An insect?!

Yes. Fish and insects were the main sources of protein. That was the traditional Mexican diet. However, there is a historical background where Europeans came later and introduced meat.

—So, eating more fish would be a return to Mexico's ancient food culture, wouldn't it? We Japanese also eat a lot of fish. What kind of cooperation do you think is possible with Mexico in promoting a fish-eating culture?

One of the things we need to learn in Mexico is respect for seafood, how to handle it, how to catch and unload it, and how to cook it. We want to know all of that. I think it's an area where we can cooperate. No other country in the world cooks seafood as well as Japan does.

—That is a traditional technique that fishermen and chefs continue to hone even today, and it is a source of pride for Japan.

Yeah.This collaboration with Seafood LegacyWhen we told our chefs about it, they all wanted to go to Japan. They said they definitely wanted to go this year or next. Japan is the best in the world when it comes to its culture surrounding fish and seafood, and its respect for ingredients.

—Are dishes like sashimi and sushi well-known in Mexico?

It's being spread by Japanese restaurants and eateries. It's a relatively new phenomenon that has become widespread in recent years.

The dilemma between exports and domestic consumption—the major challenge of price.

—If Mexicans start eating more fish and domestic consumption increases, will it mean that Mexican seafood will be able to sell more domestically instead of exporting almost all of it?

No, no. We do export, but that's not the reason. It's because we can sell Mexican seafood in other countries for a much higher price than we can pay in our own country. We produce high-value-added products. Bivalves, bluefin tuna, and also octopus and grouper. These are very high-value-added seafood products. The prices that are paid in Asia, Europe, and America are unaffordable for people in Mexico.

A fresh fish stall at a Mexican market (Photo courtesy of COMEPESCA)

Nevertheless, we are trying to at least ensure that it can be consumed domestically. Producers also realized they had to sell within Mexico when markets closed due to the pandemic. Now, Mexican octopus is available in domestic markets. However, chefs can only sell to a very small number of wealthy customers, as the vast majority of Mexico's population is low-income.

—How do you plan to address the issues of pricing and expanding domestic consumption?

I think we need to tackle a lot of strategies. Promotion and measures to get local communities to eat their own seafood. Most fishing communities don't even use the whole fish they catch. Everyone just wants fillets and doesn't realize that most of the fatty acids and nutrients are in the head and organs. Changing that is one of our goals.

As part of the sustainable seafood movement "Pesca Con Futuro (Future-Oriented Fisheries)"
Citrali Gomez speaking at a seminar hosted by Comepesca (Photo courtesy of Comepesca)

Another approach is to promote aquaculture more in inland areas and along rivers. Aquaculture, not fisheries. We want fishermen to be able to sell their catches at better prices and reduce their catches. Mexico's aquaculture industry is entering a very interesting phase.

Abalone farming is thriving in Mexico's Baja California state and other areas. © Ignacio Urquiza

Traceability to combat IUU fishing

--More than half of the seafood produced in Mexico comes from IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing, and companies that provide legally sourced seafood are struggling to compete on price in the market. How are you addressing IUU fishing?

That is a problem that the government must solve. Comepesca does not directly engage in activities to address IUU fishing. Our business is about promoting sustainability and working with people who are committed to sustainability and produce in accordance with the law. We believe that what we can do from a business perspective is to work on traceability.

—Are you asking the government to address this issue?

Yes. We provide information and do what we can as advocates.

—Your efforts regarding traceability and transparency address the issue through the market and supply chain, rather than directly fighting IUU fishing vessels.

Yes. Ultimately, buyers and the market are the ones who set the course. They don't want illegal products on their shelves because it's a huge reputational risk. In that sense, our retail and hotel partners are great allies in dealing with this issue without resorting to media scrutiny or getting into trouble.

The fresh fish section of a supermarket in Mexico. Sustainable seafood certified under "#PescaConFuturo" is on display.
(Photo courtesy of COMEPESCA)

How to make sustainable seafood mainstream

--At the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS2024) in 2024, the goal was set to "make sustainable seafood mainstream by 2030." What is needed to make sustainable seafood mainstream?

One key issue is whether sustainability can be made economically viable. In particular, it means that distributors can make at least some profit from it.

Another important point is that people need to awaken to the industry's long-term vision. If we don't produce and fish in a sustainable way, there won't be enough fish left for our children and future generations in the coming decades. We also need to convince those in companies who are only interested in making quick profits that there is no other option.

A small fishing boat departing from the coast of Mexico © Ignacio Urquiza

Furthermore, this needs to become national policy. In Mexico, a new legal framework for a national-level traceability system is about to be established. We have been working on this with other organizations, and we hope to finalize it within a few months, or even a few weeks if possible.

--Comepesca also has its own goals for 2030. What do you think is necessary to achieve those goals?

We need to be more proactive. We need to engage Generation Z and Millennials, and probably shift our strategy to a B2C (business-to-consumer) campaign. A large-scale international campaign. This is something we absolutely must do. I think it's something we need to achieve within the next three years at the very least. However, we lack funding, so we are currently working on raising capital. This is because B2C campaigns are much more expensive than B2B (business-to-business) campaigns.

Mainstreaming sustainable seafood requires cross-border collaboration. This photo was taken at the Aquatic Blue Food Coalition booth at the UN Ocean Conference held in France in 2025. Citrali Gomez is second from the right. (Photo courtesy of COMEPESCA)

—Mainstreaming sustainable seafood requires addressing a great many challenges. What approach do you think is most effective in tackling such a complex issue?

I've always been a conservationist, but I knew nothing about sustainable seafood. I'm still learning as I go. Foundations and people ask us to "tell us our five-year strategy," but that's impossible. Our strategy changes every year; we keep moving in the direction that we think is best at the time.

Of course, we have the same focus: promoting sustainable seafood and raising people's awareness of its importance. But we're constantly learning as we go. We developed a three-year strategy, but we have to change it again. It's not a huge change, but we need to move a few steps faster to achieve all our goals.

What's important is consistency.

—I understand you've published a book about Mexican seafood.

Yes. It just came out last December, and the title is 'Getting to Know Mexico Through Its Fish and SeafoodThe book is titled "Getting to Know Mexico Through Fish and Seafood." It's a truly beautiful book about Mexican seafood, including its markets, the Pesca Con Futuro movement, its stories, and sustainability.

From a Mexican market © Ignacio Urquiza

We visited fishermen all over Mexico, and Ignacio Urquiza, one of our country's best photographers, took the pictures. 51 writers contributed their respective areas of expertise, and my husband wrote the chapter on trout. Several chefs also contributed, and there are photos of seafood dishes.

A chef preparing a dish using Mexican lobster.
(Photo courtesy of COMEPESCA)

—I'm impressed by your energetic activities. I imagine your family has always supported you.

Without my husband, I wouldn't have been able to get involved in Comepesca's activities. Before joining Comepesca, I was involved in managing the aquaculture farm, but now my husband does almost everything. When our son was little, I sometimes took him with me on business trips, and now he's about to go to university.

With my husband and young son at the family-run rainbow trout farm in the mountains of Mexico.
(Provided by Citrali Gomez)MovieThan)

My family believes in the Comepesca project. We have long-standing relationships with many of the producers in Comepesca. These are relationships built on trust over a long period of time.

With my colleagues at Comepesca, who have worked with me to promote the "Pesca Con Futuro (Fisheries for the Future)" campaign. To the left of the woman crouching in the front row is Citrali Gomez.
(Photo courtesy of COMEPESCA)

—That's very important.

Yes. And I think it's important that what you do and what you say are consistent. In other words, there must be a very close relationship between what you are promoting and the work you do to make a living. You shouldn't be lecturing about things you don't do yourself. You should practice what you say, and vice versa. In a word... I guess in English it would be congruence.

—So, "congruence" means that your actual self and your ideal self are in harmony, right? Does that mean being true to yourself?

Yes, that's what I wanted to say. I think consistency is important.

Living with the Sea – A Mexican Beach at Sunset © Ignacio Urquiza

Citlali Gómez Lepe
As the chairperson of Comepesca, a Mexican non-profit industry organization, she leads "Pesca Con Futuro" (Fisheries for the Future), a sustainable seafood movement originating in Mexico. She is a biologist and expert in aquaculture and rural development. She studied biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In 1992, she co-founded the multi-species aquaculture facility "Neminatura" with her family and has been engaged in rainbow trout farming and small-scale responsible agriculture and aquaculture projects in central Mexico for over 30 years. After serving on the board of directors of Comepesca, she became chairperson in 2017. She is also a co-founder of "Alpescas," a Latin American sustainable fisheries alliance. From 2025, she will also serve on the board of directors of the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA).

Interviewed and written by: Chiho Iuchi

He writes articles mainly about science, technology, and culture in both Japanese and English. After working for the Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (now the Japan Finance Corporation) and the English-language newspaper The Japan Times, he has been freelance since 2016. In 2024, he completed a Master's program in Sustainability Studies at the Hosei University Graduate School of Public Policy. He is a director of the Japan Council of Science and Technology Journalists.