Mexico EEZ (0-200NM)

To protect the natural environment of Mexico.

Species of Concern: Multiple

Restrictions

Fishing restrictions, such as bag limits, seasons, and size restrictions apply. Please consult the local fishing laws for more information. The following is a list of some of the restrictions that apply in Mexican waters:
- Recreational fishing must adhere to minimum size, closed seasons, catch limits, and fishing gear regulations as determined by the Secretary and announced via agreements in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
- Sports-Recreational fishing is allowed only for fish species, excluding crustaceans, aquatic mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and mollusks, except for squid.
- Recreational fishing can be conducted:
a) From land, which does not require a permit.
b) Onboard a vessel, requiring permits outlined in the Federal Law of Fees.
c) Underwater, requiring an individual permit.
- Underwater recreational fishing can only be practiced through free diving and with a sling, spring, or pneumatic harpoon per sports fisherman, excluding the use of hooks, spears, and light attraction devices. Underwater fishing can only be carried out on fish, and the capture of crustaceans and mollusks is prohibited with the exception of squid.
- Recreational fishermen in marine waters may use any number of rods and reels with bait or lure, observing strict catch limits.
- In inland waters, only one rod per fisherman is to be in operation. - For deep-sea fish capture, only one rod or handline with up to 4 hooks in a vertical line per sports fisherman is allowed; the use of robber, grampin, or multiple death hooks is prohibited.
- The use of bait in marine waters must be of fishery origin. For obtaining live bait, similar restrictions apply as for bait use.
- Chumming in recreational fishing tournaments and throwing live specimens as bait before and during competitions to attract target species without hooking them first are prohibited. - Recreational fishing is not allowed:
a) In closed seasons and areas.
b) Within 250 meters of commercial fishing vessels, fixed or floating fishing gear.
c) Within 250 meters from the shore of beaches frequented by bathers.
d) In refuge zones, reserves, and protected natural areas without explicit authorization from the Secretary and other competent authorities. - Retained specimens as per established quotas cannot be commercialized.
- Disembarking filleted organisms captured under recreational fishing permits is not allowed, except for onboard consumption during the fishing trip, specifically for billfish species.
- Those who carry out sports-recreational fishing activities may under no circumstances carry out the following acts:
a) use gillnets, longlines with multiple hooks, explosives, and toxic substance, as well as transport them in boats intended for sports-recreational fishing;
b) Alter or destroy reefs; individuals responsible for or providing services must anchor or secure their vessels at a minimum distance of 15 meters from the perimeter line of coral reefs and must not anchor or secure directly on the reef under any circumstances;
c) Damage or Destroy Reefs: Carrying More Specimens than Allowed: Transporting onboard their vessels more specimens than permitted by this Official Mexican Standard is prohibited. Persons fishing for lobster must adhere to the NOM-006-SAG ​​/ PESC-2016, which regulates the exploitation of all lobster species in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, as well as the Pacific Ocean including the Gulf of California.

The following systems, methods, techniques and fishing equipment are prohibited for commercial fishing, sport-recreation, experimental and domestic consumption:
- The installation or construction of any type of works or water flow control systems to shut down, partially or temporarily, coastal lagoons or marshes, as well as to interrupt or obstruct the free flow of water in the mouths, channels or estuaries that serve as a connection between the coastal lagoons and the sea or between them for the purpose of fishing or aquaculture management of some aquatic species of crustaceans, molluscs or fish, except in cases authorized by the Secretariat, without prejudice to Applicable laws, based on the technical opinion of the National Fisheries Institute.
- The use of individual cast nets or back cast nets, in the following areas: In breeding and refuge areas of lakes and continental reservoirs based on the technical opinion of the National Institute of Fisheries, this provision exempts the catch of charale and areas and times authorized by the Secretariat in accordance with the specific rules for fishing in those water bodies; or in lagoon-estuarine systems associated with the use of food attractants, a technique known as 'purineo.'
- The installation or use of scoop nets or current bags for the capture of live aquatic organisms in lagoon-estuarine systems, mouths, and bar mouths connecting to the sea, except those authorized by the Secretary, without prejudice to applicable laws.
- The use of beach seines in coastal lagoons, estuaries, mouths, reef zones, and beaches with rocky bottoms.
- The use of trawl nets in bays and lagoon-estuarine systems, aimed at fishing any species, except in cases that expressly authorize the Secretariat based on the technical opinion of the National Fisheries Institute.
- The use of dredges and trawls for fishing of aquatic organisms that inhabit the bottoms.
- Any capture system which, through the suction method, is intended to capture living organisms of aquatic flora and fauna. Excepted from this provision is the operation of pumps to carry on board seiners the product retained in the purse seines.
- The use of explosives and toxic substances, such as chlorine, cyanide, bean milk and other toxic substances, as well as their transportation on fishing vessels.
- The use of balanced feed as an industrialized powdered food attractant or pellet (technique known as purineo), in waters under federal jurisdiction.
- The application of the technique commonly known as 'corraleo' and 'pantaneo' exclusively in inland water bodies, lagoon-estuarine systems and coastal zones of federal jurisdiction, except in cases authorized by the Secretariat based on the opinion Technique of the National Fisheries Institute.
- The use of the technique known as 'motoreo' in estuarine lagoon systems, inland water reservoirs, lakes and rivers of federal jurisdiction.
The method of collecting molluscs, known as 'low tide,' by means of which abalone and clam are extracted in the peninsula of Baja California, except for the species claw foot mule (Anadara tuberculosa) and rusty clam (Chione californiensis).
- The use of nets and longlines or gillnets in coral reefs.
- Hooks, spears, and harpoons for the capture of octopus in marine waters off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, except where it is impossible to use other equipment or fishing techniques in accordance with the technical opinion of the National Fisheries Institute.
- The use of longlines or gillnets on vessels intended for sports-recreational fishing.
- The method of fishing with harpoons and fítoras from the shore, from boats, or by the technique of diving with compressor (hookah) in marine waters and inland water bodies, except in the cases authorized by the Secretariat based on the technical opinion of the National Fisheries Institute.

Allowed

Fishing in accordance with Mexican law is allowed.