Standardized Methods for Sampling Inland Fishes in Mexico: Development, Utilization and Validation

Standardization of methods and processes has allowed development of human societies. Efforts are increasing in many areas of the world to standardize methods and practices for freshwater fish population and community monitoring and assessment. These efforts will result in better communication among scientists, allow for large scale and long-term studies, and allow better understanding of multiple factors affecting freshwater fish populations. Standard methods for sampling inland fishes in Mexico (North of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec) have been developed as part of a North American effort led by the American Fisheries Society. While these methods are in general applicable to Mexican freshwater ecosystems, there could be important obstacles to their widespread utilization. In this paper, we 1) explore the current status of the use of standardized fish-sampling methods in Mexico, 2) identify obstacles to the adoption of standardized methods, and 3) point to the opportunities and strategies that could be adopted by researchers using, validating, and modifying these methods. Further, we explore if and how existing North American standardized methods should be modified for their use in unique Mexican systems and identify a preliminary group of species of regional importance, for which existing standard sampling methods could be used in population assessment practices and management. Standard method validation procedures in Mexico have the potential to lead to their implementation in other areas of Latin America, where their use is also incipient.