Part 4: The Cartel of the Sea
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And how the weak response from the Mexican government is impacting local fishers.
In today’s episode, host Ruxandra Guidi looks at the conditions in the upper Gulf of California that have allowed Mexican cartels to embed themselves into nearly all aspects of the fishing industry. She investigates the weak response from the Mexican government in rooting out the cartels and tries to learn what, if anything, can be done about all this.
This episode features conversations with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Carlos Tirado, a local fishers leader who runs a large artisanal shrimp fishing operation and is an advocate for sustainable fishing.
About The Catch: Coming up on this season of The Catch, we head to the Upper Gulf of California, to see what a porpoise, a fish whose bladder fetches tens of thousands of dollars on the black market, and the highly desirable—and delicious—colossal shrimp tell us about the complicated world of fishing. This spring, Foreign Policy is partnering with the Walton Family Foundation for season two of The Catch, hosted by Ruxandra Guidi. We'll hear how local fishermen are caught between providing for their families and protecting marine habitats. And how governments, importers, and consumers all have a role in returning balance to the Upper Gulf of California. Follow and listen to The Catch in Spanish and English wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to The Catch in Spanish here. See All Episodes
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More The Catch episodes:
Part 6: The Future
How fishers are working toward more sustainable practices.
Part 5: Pressure Points
Learn what importers and consumers can do to improve sustainability.
Part 3: The Embargo
Hear about efforts to cut down on gillnets in the Upper Gulf and save the vaquita.