ABSTRACT
This chapter examines several critical aspects of the growth potential of the fishing sector in Mexico. First, trends in the world catch are analyzed and compared with estimates of available fish stock, for different species. Second, the main features of the regulatory system of fisheries are examined to identify the areas in which changes could promote new investments and prevent misallocation of resources. The rapid development of cichlids and carps is the result of important government-supported programs in rural areas. The Food and Agriculture Organization projections of world fisheries production have been rather conservative. Research on the availability of fish stock in Mexico is incomplete, and the information that is available concentrates on a few species. A standard measure of the employment generation capacity of the fishing sector is the employment per ton measure. The chapter presents estimates of total employment and production linkages for the Mexican fishing sector.
