The mullet fishing season begins with a quota of 8,100 tons and new control rules.

The mullet (Mugil liza) fishing season began on May 1st, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) clarifies some important points regarding catch limits, catch quotas by permit type, fishing area, and registration, monitoring, and control measures associated with the species in the Southeast and South regions of the country. The new rules can be found at [link to document/reference]. Interministerial Decree MPA/MMA No. 51, of February 27, 2026.

For the 2026 fishing season, the mullet quota will increase by approximately 20% compared to last year, for all fishing methods. The total mullet catch limit is 8,168 tons, based on the most recent stock assessment of the species, prepared in 2025.

The procedures for closing the gillnet fishing season have been altered to avoid exceeding the quota. The definitions were debated and consolidated in the Mullet Working Group, with 10 representatives from each state in the South and Southeast regions – Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro – based on 20 group meetings and technical visits that involved more than 800 people.

Check out the mullet quota for the 2026 season:

The total catch limit for the mullet (Mugil liza) species in 2026 will be distributed in catch quotas as follows:

I – 720 tons for purse seine/trawler, whose area of operation is the Territorial Sea and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Regions

Southeast and South of Brazil;

II – 1,094 tons for gillnetting, whose area of operation is the Territorial Sea adjacent to the state of Santa Catarina;

III – 2,070 tons for surface coastal gillnetting, permitting modality 2.2 of Interministerial Normative Instruction No. 10, of June 10, 2011, of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Ministry of the Environment, which has as its area of operation the Territorial Sea and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Southeast and South regions of Brazil;

IV – 1,332 tons for beach seine fishing, under permitting modalities 6.8, 6.9, 6.10 and 6.11 of Interministerial Normative Instruction No. 10, of June 10, 2011, from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Ministry of the Environment, whose area of operation is the Territorial Sea adjacent to the state of Santa Catarina; and

V – 2,760 tons for capture in the Patos Lagoon estuary, according to the operating area defined in Joint Normative Instruction No. 3, of February 9, 2004, of the Ministry of the Environment and the Special Secretariat for Aquaculture and Fisheries of the Presidency of the Republic.

Sustainable fisheries management

The definition of quotas for mullet fishing stems from the need for responsible management of the fishery resource, considering that the species has high socioeconomic value and strong fishing pressure throughout the season. The inclusion of artisanal fishing does not represent a disregard for its traditional character, but rather the incorporation of this modality into the fisheries management model, in order to ensure fair access to the resource and greater predictability in crop management.

The coordinator of Coastal-Marine Participatory Management at MPA, Adayse Bossolani, states that the technical criteria used for

The decision was based on robust scientific data regarding the species' population behavior, reproductive dynamics, catch history, fishing effort, and stock sustainability. "Quota management seeks to balance the economic exploitation of the resource with maintaining the species' natural renewal capacity, avoiding the risk of overfishing," he explained.

Regarding the impacts on fishing communities, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) assesses that quota-based management contributes to greater legal certainty, predictability of the activity, and transparency in monitoring the season. Continuous monitoring, carried out through the Mullet Fishing Season Monitoring Panel and the PesqBrasil – Monitoring system, seeks to ensure real-time control of catches and prevent overcapacity.

Regarding the possibility of revising or adjusting quotas throughout the season, fisheries management continues to monitor catch and monitoring data. Any adjustments may be evaluated based on technical criteria, updated data, and monitoring of crop conditions, always observing current legislation and the principles of sustainability and shared management.