Over 600 people turned out this past weekend for the first-ever Totoaba Fest 2026 in the municipality of Ensenada.
Ten local restaurants participated in the festival, each offering various preparations of the farmed marine fish.
Specialists at the event highlighted not only the totoaba’s culinary qualities but also the scientific and aquaculture work that has advanced its conservation and sustainable production.
Related: Rosarito Bets Big on Binational Tourism with Summer of Culture, Food, and Fun
Responsible and Sustainable Consumption
Gilberto Bayón Bojórquez, president of Totoaba Aquaculturists, said the versatile fish is both nutritious and a responsible, sustainable choice for consumption. He noted that the species, which is endemic to the Gulf of California, is now being raised on farms in the southern part of the state.
Bayón Bojórquez added that 20 years ago, researchers at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) succeeded in developing captive-bred totoaba in Ensenada.
Keep reading: Valle de Guadalupe Unveils New Bus Terminal to Boost Tourism
A Push to Save the Species
Since then, the fish has been reintroduced into the Gulf of California in an effort to save the species.
UABC researcher Conal David True commented that totoaba grows quickly and is not difficult to farm.
“But I think the most important thing is that it’s part of the region’s history and people remember it. We need to continue repopulation efforts and demonstrate that Mexico’s totoaba population is healthy, so that it can potentially be strengthened for the future,” he said.
