The Women of Petatán, a Fish-processing Village in Lake Chapala, Mexico

Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016.Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.Petatán is a fishing village bordering Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. Most fish caught in the lake and in other water bodies in the region are processed here. Petatán houses the second largest fish processing industry in the region. The fish filleted here goes to the second largest fish market in the country, from where it is widely distributed. In this community all the fishers are male while women are experts in the filleting of fish and Petatán’s economy depends on fishing. This paper explores the socioeconomic importance of women processing activities for the local fishing industry and the household survival. Although the research design is mainly qualitative and explorative, some quantitative data was obtained to show the socioeconomic impact of the activity. Fieldwork was carried out during 2015. Findings indicate that the women of Petatán have entered the labor market for two main reasons: the town depends on middlemen who buy fish only if it is already filleted and packed in ice, making women’s processing work an essential part of the value chain; and when fish-catch volumes are low women’s income becomes crucial for household subsistence. Moreover, women feel independent and empowered by being able to earn their own money, and they are known as the bravest in the region. But, this job requires prolonged periods of standing, which causes extreme fatigue, and they are prone to many forms of ailments. Despite that, they prefer processing fish than going to work in the fields in neighboring villages