Minerva Pérez Castro, president of the Cámara Nacional de las Industrias Pesquera y Acuícola (Canainpesca), was shot dead on July 8 in Ensenada, Mexico. She was attacked in her car outside the seafood company Atenea en el Mar after publicly criticizing illegal fishing and organized crime’s influence in the industry. Pérez Castro had highlighted the impacts of illegal fishing, such as cartel extortion and protection racketeering. Her car was hit with over 30 bullets.
Local police and the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office are investigating the murder. Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué Sacristán, condemned the killing, emphasizing the need to combat illegal fishing.
The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and El Centro Desarrollo y Pesca Sustentable (CeDePesca) expressed condolences and called for a thorough investigation. Pérez Castro, who was elected as president of Canainpesca in June 2023, had previously survived a similar attack. She was committed to sustainable fishing practices and combating illegal activities in the seafood industry.