Mexico classifies sargassum as a national fishing resource

Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) has formally designated sargassum as a national fishing resource, allowing for its regulated harvest in federal waters starting August 7, 2025. The measure was announced in an update to the National Fisheries Charter (CNP), the government’s technical framework for monitoring and managing marine resources.

SADER said the reclassification marks a “significant milestone” in marine resource management, enabling technical oversight, sustainable collection and economic use of the seaweed. The new rules allow equipped vessels to intercept sargassum at sea, reducing the volumes reaching shore, where it decomposes and releases foul-smelling gases that can deter visitors and pose health risks.

Authorities estimate that up to 945,000 tonnes of dried sargassum could be harvested annually for industrial applications, including fertilizers, biofuels, bioplastics, animal feed supplements, water treatment materials, textiles, dyes and construction biomaterials. Projects to convert the seaweed into biofuel are already under way in Quintana Roo.

The yellow-brown algae, which drifts across the Atlantic for much of the year, has become a persistent problem for beaches in the Mexican Caribbean, including tourist destinations such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Large seasonal landings have disrupted tourism, with local industry representatives in Tulum reporting a 50% drop in visitors this year due to the condition of beaches.

Between 2019 and 2025, the Mexican Navy collected more than 266,000 tonnes of sargassum at seven ports in Quintana Roo. This year alone, researchers expect around 100,000 tonnes to arrive in the region.

Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena welcomed the measure in a social media post, crediting Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué and the Mexican Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture Sustainability (IMIPAS) for taking “a key step” toward the sustainable use of the resource.