In the Mexican maritime-port sector, the lack of in-depth debate is not an accident: it’s part of the design. This was the argument put forth by Hugo Gómez, a consultant and instructor with decades of experience in maritime affairs, when presenting * Seas al límite. La pugna por una nueva gobierno oceánica * (Seas at the Limit: The Struggle for a New Oceanic Governance ) – available on Amazon – a book that doesn’t seek institutional complacency, but rather aims to open an uncomfortable conversation about the structural shortcomings that Mexico faces in maritime governance, research, and training
The book —a compilation of 65 reports written over five years— functions as a map of pending issues. “It’s like a kind of research catalog of topics that are still pending for the academic sector,” Gómez explained in an interview with T21 , emphasizing that much of the content engages with now unavoidable global agendas, such as marine sustainability, the role of European NGOs, and the entry into force of the High Seas Agreement (BBNJ). It is not a book focused on current events: it is an inventory of omissions.
From ocean governance to the transformation of port cities, the author confronts the reader with a system operating without real checks and balances. Cases like Tampico—with its port reconversion project—or the historical role of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) on the Mexican coast appear not as local anecdotes, but as symptoms of an exhausted model. “We have many types, various typologies of ports that demand special treatment (…) and that is not being studied,” he warned.
One of the book’s most critical points is the near-total absence of maritime and port academic research in Mexico. For Gómez, this isn’t a lack of talent, but rather an institutional vicious cycle: “There’s no research because there aren’t any PhDs within the institution, and without PhDs, no research is done .” This diagnosis directly impacts the Maritime and Port University of Mexico (UMPM) —formerly Fidena—where, he says, neither reading nor critical thinking is encouraged, and where students don’t graduate with theses, but rather with “little projects” that don’t contribute to knowledge.
The critique is not abstract. Gómez recalled his experience at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) during a doctoral internship, where he identified another major shortcoming of the system: the inability to translate scientific language for the general public . “Many of the problems we face stem from a lack of information for the community… scientists write for scientists, and ordinary people have no idea,” he explained. This experience fueled his conviction to write in accessible language, first with * The Blue Economy* and now with *Seas at the Limit *.
The information deficit not only limits social awareness, but also blocks participatory processes. Gómez recalled an academic exercise carried out in Manzanillo, where universities were invited to reflect on the port-city relationship. The project failed when the Mexican Navy (Semar) denied access to basic information . “They refused to provide information, much less allow photographs… the students became discouraged, some even dropped out,” he explained. The message was clear: without data, there is no research; without research, there is no sound public policy.
This closed-minded approach is reflected in the lack of institutional checks and balances. Although the Ports Law includes provisions for citizen advisory committees, Gómez emphasized their practical uselessness: “The law states that the administration is not obligated to heed the recommendations… that’s essentially the same as doing nothing.” According to the author, a new ocean governance model demands that these mechanisms be binding, not merely decorative.
The specialist also touched on other uncomfortable topics during the interview, such as the crisis surrounding deepwater projects like Trion (a deepwater oil field in Mexico developed by Woodside and Pemex); the unlearned lessons of Macondo (the oil field in the Gulf of Mexico where the Deepwater Horizon disaster occurred in 2010, the largest oil spill in U.S. history); the technical weakening of agencies like Mexico’s Agency for Safety, Energy and the Environment (ASEA) ; and the budget cuts at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) . All of this is happening while Mexico faces global debates such as deep-sea mining, about which, he warned, society remains uninformed.
Another critical issue is the training and treatment of seafarers. Gómez denounced a tacit alliance between shipowners, states, and international organizations to keep seafarers on board, deliberately limiting their training in areas such as logistics and management. “They don’t make them more competent because they’ll go ashore,” he stated . This logic is even replicated within the Mexican Navy, where, he noted, professional profiles were modified to prevent job mobility off the ship.
Likewise, other current issues were addressed during the interview, such as his rejection of the purchase of a new training ship by the port authority in Mexico, which summarizes Hugo Gómez’s position: without a profound reform of the educational and governance model, any investment is doomed to failure. “Mexico should not buy that ship (…) under that scheme, it is condemning it to failure,” he stated, recalling the history of corruption surrounding the Náuticas México . For Gómez, the resources would be better invested in a modern maritime university, focused on research, innovation, and maritime economics.
The diagnosis is completed by a generational clash. The new generations, he argued, find no place in a militarized system that stifles creativity . “They are training sailors for the 20th century, for a world that no longer exists,” he stated, warning that without freedom of thought, innovation is impossible.
Seas at the Limit is not just a compilation of texts: it’s a warning. In a country with over 11,000 kilometers of coastline, maritime potential remains underutilized due to a lack of vision, research, and governance. Gómez even issued a direct message to the new government: “Mexico needs to talk in terms of maritime economics… how can we take advantage of all this?” The question remains open, but the diagnosis is now clear.
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