Inauguration of the Los Agostaderos de Topón Cooperative processing plant in Chiapas

On December 11, 2024, the Los Agostaderos de Topón cooperative officially inaugurated its processing plant. The inauguration coincided with the annual meeting of the Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) White Shrimp in the La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve (REBIEN).

Members of the El Carrizal and Los Agostaderos de Topón cooperatives, employees of the processing plant, and key representatives participated in the event. Yuliesky Garcés from SmartFish AC, Ramón Flores from Conservation International Mexico, Georgina de la Cruz and Norma Gómez from REBIEN-CONANP, Luis Alfonso Velázquez from the State Committee for Aquaculture Health in Chiapas, and Miguel Ángel Peralta from the University of Chiapas led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Speakers emphasized the strong collaboration between cooperatives, civil society organizations, and government authorities that made this project possible. The new plant marks a major achievement for the Topón cooperative and a significant step forward for the fishing sector in the La Encrucijada region of Chiapas.

With this new infrastructure, the cooperatives can produce high-quality shrimp, add value to local production under safe processing conditions, and offer a more competitive product in regional markets. The project also strengthens the local economy by creating direct and indirect jobs and improving livelihoods in the Topón community.

The Los Agostaderos de Topón cooperative, REBIEN-CONANP (through the Sustainable Development Conservation Program - PROCODES), Conservation International Mexico, Fundación Sertull, and SmartFish AC contributed to the plant’s construction and to the capacity development program.

This milestone marks a key advancement in the effort to transform shrimp production in southern Mexico, driving the region towards a more responsible and sustainable fishery.