Local fishermen welcomed officials from the state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) and the National Commission of Fishing and Aquaculture Wednesday, January 23.
Their reason for coming? To exchange 12 new outboard motors for worn out models.
The new motors were dispersed among members of nine active fishermen’s cooperatives that ply Lake Chapala’s waters. The replacement models are fuel efficient, requiring 30 to 40 percent less gasoline than the trade-ins, and function without spilling oil that contaminates the lake.
State legislator Jesús Cabrera, Chapala Harbormaster Luis Jorge Ochoa and Mayor Moisés Anaya were on hand at the delivery ceemony, held at the waterfront Malecón, to express their gratitude to state and federal agencies for supporting the area’s fishing industry.