Every spring and summer, thick mats of brown sargassum blanket the beaches of Puerto Morelos. Now, local fishermen may soon get paid to catch that troublesome seaweed before it ever reaches the shore.

A New Kind of Fishery

Quintana Roo is preparing what organizers describe as the state’s first formal sargassum fishery. The proposed initiative involves fishing cooperatives, Seas We Love, and tourism-sector representatives, with a pilot phase expected in 2027.

The proposal could involve roughly 420 to 840 small vessels from local fishing cooperatives, although the final number has not been established. Crews are expected to operate across more than 1,500 square kilometers of sea between Xcalak and Puerto Morelos.

Puerto Morelos at the Center

Puerto Morelos plays a key role in making this project work. The regional center of the Mexican Institute for Research in Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, known as Imipas, is based right in town.

Imipas regional chief Manuel Jesus Puerto Mocoroa is helping guide the initiative. He stressed that the project is designed to empower local coastal fishermen rather than large commercial companies.

The initiative envisions local processing and value chains for the harvested seaweed, while Puerto Morelos already hosts a regional IMIPAS research center involved in sargassum-related work. That setup means raw seaweed can be unloaded at local docks and turned into useful products right near home.

Steady Income for Fishing Families

For generations, town fishermen have relied heavily on lobster and finfish to feed their families. But strict seasonal bans leave boat crews with little to no income for months at a time.

Harvesting sargassum offers a brand new paycheck during those long fishery closures. Because sargassum has been incorporated into Mexico’s fisheries framework, the pilot could provide an additional activity for eligible fishermen during seasonal closures, subject to the required permits and operating rules.

The model calls for fishermen to record their catches and deliver the biomass for processing into commercial products. The ownership, permitting, and sales arrangements remain to be defined.

Cleaner Coastlines

Intercepting algae in the open water keeps Puerto Morelos beaches clean and helps protect delicate coral reefs. It also stops the foul smell that happens when piles of seaweed rot under the hot sun.

The initiative does not replace the Mexican Navy ships or municipal beach crews. Instead, local cooperatives will act as an extra barrier by collecting seaweed across seven offshore zones.

The Next Steps

The proposed pilot is expected to receive European Union support and begin in 2027, with its results to be evaluated before any wider expansion. If the trials succeed, a long-running coastal problem will transform into a stable living for Puerto Morelos fishing families.