MEXICO CITY — The representative of a prominent advocacy group for Mexico’s fishing industry was killed in July after speaking out against organized crime in Baja California, where illegal fishing is rife. Minerva Pérez Castro was shot in the town of Ensenada on July 8 just hours after making public comments about the presence of illegal fishing in the state, as well as the extortion of local fishermen and buyers. She represented Baja California in the National Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture Industries (CANAINPESCA), Mexico’s main trade group that advocates for the general interests of the national fishing industry. “We express our strongest condemnation and repudiation of this act of violence that affects not only our sector, but Mexico as a whole,” CANAINPESCA said in a statement. It added, “We urge the government to take immediate and effective measures to stop the wave of violence that afflicts those engaged in fishing and aquaculture in our country.” The states of Baja California and Baja California Sur are home to some of the most important landing sites for the Mexican fishing industry, with access to both the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of California. But that’s also attracted organized crime groups that disregard environmental regulations and often turn to violence when challenged. Hours before her death, Pérez responded to media questions about the fishing industry’s financial losses from illegal activities and the difficulty of tracking it. “Illegal fish arrive to the same markets as the legal product but without all the production costs,”…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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