The lake culture in families of fishermen of Lake Chapala, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Fishing families live in communities along the shores of Lake Chapala. This body of water is the environmental, social and economic base of the population that depends on it. Daily life is conceived around the lake to obtain food, work and the environment where water shared by generations is the central axis, especially in fishing. In this lake culture, the sanitary measures established by the pandemic and the contagions disrupted the fishing families. The objective of this study is to analyze how lake culture practices were reconfigured in fishing families as a result of the restrictions instituted in the communities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 2020 to May 2023. The methodological strategy integrated semi-structured in-depth interviews, field observation and application of a questionnaire with open and closed questions directed to fishermen, workers and those responsible for the filleting machines in the communities of Petatán, La Palma and San Pedro Cahro in Michoacán. The research period was from November 2021 to May 2023. The results show that the families were affected by the pandemic, not only in the area of health, but also in their economy and social dynamics. This high dependence on the lake is one of the reasons for generating public policies focused on improving environmental conditions, removing the lag of the riverside communities and strengthening the economy and social dynamics.