Life History Traits of Dolphinfish (Coryphaena spp.) and Their Implications for Sustainable Fishery Management in Mexico

Abstract

Dolphinfish are highly valued pelagic fish for both commercial and recreational fisheries. In Mexico, the species is reserved exclusively for sportfishing within 50 nautical miles of the coastline, making the country unique in enforcing such a rule. This regulation has generated a prolonged conflict between the commercial and artisanal sector, which seeks to amend the sustainable fishery law, and the sportfishing sector, which argues that permitting commercial harvest would significantly reduce availability for recreational fleets. The dispute has reached senior political levels, with members of Congress lobbied by both sides. Our objectives were to: (1) review dolphinfish life history traits and compare them with those of finfish legally harvested in Mexico; (2) identify knowledge gaps in the species’ biological information; and (3) provide recommendations for policymakers. Results show that dolphinfish display faster growth, earlier maturity, and greater dispersal capacity than most legally harvested teleost fish in Mexico. These traits suggest lower vulnerability to overfishing relative to other commercial species. As an initial step, we propose establishing a pilot program allowing limited legal harvest exclusively for artisanal coastal fisheries, generating data to support future assessments of population health in Mexican waters to inform adaptive, transparent, and evidence-based management decisions.

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