Tilapia Fishery in Inland Waters of Mexico: Current Status and Perspectives

Abstract

The present study aimed to review the available literature on tilapia fisheries in Mexican reservoirs. Information was obtained through searching, analyzing, and classifying sources in open-access databases. The collected data were organized into thematic sections to address the generalities of inland fisheries in Mexico, tilapia fisheries, their legal framework and management strategies in inland waters, as well as some actions aimed at the conservation of tilapia populations in reservoirs. The review indicates that, in Mexico, the main aquaculture fisheries are based on exotic species, with tilapia being the most important in terms of catch volume in inland water bodies. This highlights the high productive potential of the country's reservoirs and dams for capture fisheries of this species. In this context, the need to foster collaborative work between the public, private, and academic sectors is highlighted to strengthen the production chain and improve the competitiveness of Mexican tilapia, in order to increase its production and contribute to the food security of a constantly growing population.