Dr. Andrés Granados, a fisheries engineering professor at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS), earned second place in the Rural Aquaculture category at the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Awards. The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (CONAPESCA) presented the award, recognizing his team’s work supplying oyster seed to small farms across rural Baja California Sur communities.
Since 2022, the project has distributed millions of Japanese oyster seeds from the university’s Pichilingue Aquaculture Laboratory near La Paz. The juvenile oysters are produced under strict aquaculture health standards and specialized technical processes. UABCS says these protocols ensure product quality while promoting the productivity and sustainability of participating farms.
Supporting Small Farms and Training Students
The program supplies small and micro aquaculture farms dedicated to oyster production in rural BCS. These operations support livelihoods for coastal families who depend on the oyster trade. The project also serves as a hands-on training ground for UABCS fisheries engineering students learning real-world aquaculture techniques at the Pichilingue lab.
CONAPESCA’s competition includes five categories: Rural Aquaculture, Commercial Aquaculture, Small-Scale Commercial Fishing, Large-Scale Commercial Fishing, and Fisheries or Aquaculture Research. Granados and his team competed in the Rural Aquaculture division, which focuses on community-level food production rather than large commercial operations.
BCS Leads Mexico in Farmed Oyster Production
The award comes as Baja California Sur solidifies its position as Mexico’s leading producer of farmed oysters in 2026. Oyster aquaculture in the state has become an economic engine for dozens of coastal communities, according to regional reporting. The industry carries an unusually low environmental footprint because oysters act as natural water filters, improving the quality of estuaries and bays where they grow.
Restaurants in Los Cabos and La Paz now feature locally farmed oysters as a selling point, attracting food-focused visitors from around the world. The state has gained international attention as a model of the “blue economy,” balancing economic growth with environmental protection.
The recognition of Granados’ university-led seed program by Mexico’s top fisheries agency points to growing institutional backing for sustainable, small-scale aquaculture on the peninsula. The story was first reported by Gringo Gazette.