A major oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico has spread more than 373 miles or 600 kilometers across the ocean and seeped into seven nature reserves. Mexicans who have worked in Veracruz’s booming fishing industry for years say they’ve been dealt a blow on one of their busiest weeks of the year.
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Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyAt Middle Creek, timing and distance shape a photo of migrating geeseThe World in PicturesUganda reintroduces rhinos into a protected area where they have been extinct since 1983Dietary supplement makers push the FDA to allow peptides and other new ingredientsIt's not just vaccines — parents are refusing other routine preventive care for newbornsOne Tech Tip: Here's how AI can help you in your job huntAt Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence 'against those who deserve no mercy'Industria del cangrejo de río de Luisiana sufre por escasez de trabajadores extranjerosAn oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is disrupting a critical fishing period in Mexico, as coastal communities that depend on seafood sales during Lent face falling catches and wary customers. In predominantly Catholic Mexico, Lent is the period leading up to Easter when many people traditionally abstain from eating red meat, increasing demand for fish and seafood. A fisherman stands on the shore after suspending fishing trips because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps, in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Fishermen untangle a net after suspending fishing trips because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Mexican Navy sailors collect sargassum stained with oil from a spill in the Gulf of Mexico that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Mexican Navy sailors load bags of sargassum stained with oil from a spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps, in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Clumps of oil residue stain the shore after fishing outings were suspended because of an oil spill that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps along the Gulf coast in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is disrupting a critical fishing period in Mexico, as coastal communities that depend on seafood sales during Lent face falling catches and wary customers. In predominantly Catholic Mexico, Lent is the period leading up to Easter when many people traditionally abstain from eating red meat, increasing demand for fish and seafood. A fisherman stands on the shore after suspending fishing trips because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps, in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. A fisherman stands on the shore after suspending fishing trips because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps, in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Fishermen untangle a net after suspending fishing trips because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Fishermen untangle a net after suspending fishing trips because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Mexican Navy sailors collect sargassum stained with oil from a spill in the Gulf of Mexico that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Mexican Navy sailors collect sargassum stained with oil from a spill in the Gulf of Mexico that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Mexican Navy sailors load bags of sargassum stained with oil from a spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps, in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Mexican Navy sailors load bags of sargassum stained with oil from a spill in the Gulf of Mexico that authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps, in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Clumps of oil residue stain the shore after fishing outings were suspended because of an oil spill that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps along the Gulf coast in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. Clumps of oil residue stain the shore after fishing outings were suspended because of an oil spill that Mexican authorities said originated from an unidentified vessel and two natural oil seeps along the Gulf coast in Salinas, Mexico, Thursday, March 26, 2026. VERACRUZ, Mexico — Every year, fish markets in the seaside Mexican city of Veracruz flood with a crush of customers in the lead up to Holy Week. This year, they were virtually empty.has spread more than 373 miles across the ocean and seeped into seven nature reserves. Mexicans who have worked in Veracruz’s booming fishing industry for years say they’ve been dealt a blow at one of the busiest times of the year. Markets usually jammed with customers were desolate on Friday, with some vendors loudly promoting their products in a desperate attempt to attract customers. Fishing has declined off the coasts of the seaside states of Veracruz, Tabasco and Tamaulipas since the spill. “This is our livelihood,” said a worried Miguel López Rojas, owner of one of the fish stalls in the popular market.said that the spill originated from a vessel anchored off the coast of the port city of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz state and two “natural seepages.” The government estimates that about 430 tons of hydrocarbons have been collected along the coasts of the three Mexican states, but have ruled out severe environmental damage from the spill. Despite that, reports and images have been circulated by local media of dead turtles, eels and fish washing up on Mexican beaches and floating near shorelines. López Rojas said that the oil spill hasn’t only caused a dramatic drop in fish supplies, but also a decline in purchases, as consumers are avoiding the product. Amid public concern, federal health authorities have denied any reports of illnesses linked to consuming fish or seafood because of possible contamination.Susana Gutiérrez, a 67-year-old seamstress, said from a market in Mexico City that “you have to be careful with the pollution because we still don’t know what this spill could lead to.” As federal and state authorities intensify efforts to contain the spill and clean up beaches, fisherman have also struggled to make ends meet as they have been forced to almost completely halt fishing to prevent boat engines and nets from being contaminated with oil, effectively losing their main source of income. “This year has been very disastrous for us, because in all my years of life we had never experienced something of this magnitude,” said Norma González Pérez, a fisherwoman from the town of Salinas in southwestern Veracruz. Veracruz is one of Mexico’s main fish producers. In 2024, the eastern state generated about 2.76% of the country’s fish, oyster and seafood production, according to official figures. Fish are an essential component to many of the state’s traditional plates. Authorities haven’t yet provided an estimate of how many fishermen have been affected by the spill, but activists say it could be several hundred. González Pérez said things have become so bad for some fishermen that they have had to resort to bank loans. Holy Week, once a festive season for them marked by an abundance because of an annual fish migration in the Gulf of Mexico, now feels a lot more grim, she said.
Animals Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spills Mexico General News Latin America Central America Fish Climate And Environment Health Susana Gutirrez World News Business Miguel Lpez Rojas Politics World News Climate
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