Lake Chapala fishermen received a welcome government boost last week to help them make the transition from traditional subsistence fishing methods to modern technology and the more lucrative field of aquaculture.
Jalisco Governor Aristóteles Sandoval chose the north shore village of Mezcala for the June 9 delivery of 106 brand new boats, 137 outboard motors and an assortment of work equipment and furnishings valued at 12.8 million pesos, benefiting 250 fishermen from 15 municipalities.
In addition, the state and federal rural development agencies Seder and Sagarpa pooled 8.9 million pesos to distribute among 131 production enterprises operating in 14 localities.
Prior to the formalities Sandoval and an entourage of government dignitaries embarked on a boat ride to the waters just off Mezcala Island to take a gander at the successful in-water catfish farm launched several years ago. The governor gave a pledge to arrange funding to double the number of cages used in the innovative project from six to 12 units
“Future business and the best revenues today are in the countryside of Jalisco,” Sandoval declared. “An example is the kind of aquaculture we see here. The investment made per square meter in a cage like this renders nearly three times the return of any crop in an entire hectare of land,” he explained.