“In 20 years we will be eating malaguas and starfish if we do nothing,” according to a biologist

On Holy Week, Peruvians have the habit of consuming more fish and shellfish, the fishing terminals are crowded with people looking for the biggest, freshest and most affordable bonito, mackerel or horse mackerel. But Have you noticed that, over the years, the fish we eat have gotten smaller and smaller? For what is this? Here we tell you.

For example, the bonito used to measure 56 or 58 cm, but today it only reaches 46 cm. Swordfish reached 250 cm; now 120 cm. The minimum stem should be 60 cm long; however, most of these, which are sold in the markets, are barely 40 cm, detailed Juan Carlos Riveros, biologist and scientific director of Oceana Peru.

Another case was that of hake, it is normal for the female to measure around 80 cm and the male 50 cm; however, from the first decade of the 2000s, both began to reach only 23 cm. So in 2003 an 18-month ban was applied and fishing continues to be controlled, with which It has been possible to recover this species after 20 years, explained marine biologist and researcher Santiago de la Puente.

Riveros warns that the overexploitation of the largest marine species and the alteration of coastal habitats they are causing these resources to be scarce, therefore, we end up consuming smaller and smaller fish from the chain.

“If serious corrections are not made, in 20 years we will be eating malaguas and starfishwhich are basically scavengers, are animals that are at the bottom of the trophic chain and that generally eat each other”, commented the specialist in dialogue with The Republic.

Why are the fish getting smaller?

The scientist explained that there are three aspects that we have to consider to understand this problem. First, that the sizes in general have been reduced because the fishing effort is very strong; second, that animals respond to this overfishing by reducing their age of sexual maturity; and third, that although there are minimum measures, they are not respectedand that is the responsibility of local governments, municipalities, markets and officials of the Ministry of Production (Produce) and the GORE at the landing points, he pointed out.

“All this also has to do with a growing trend in the areas of reproduction and growth, which are the first five miles offshorewhich are increasingly polluted, no longer have the ability to retain (marine) populations any longer“added the specialist.

It should be noted that the minimum size is the measurement (in centimeters) that fish and other marine resources must have in order to be captured and consumed, thus ensuring that the species have already reached maturity and that they have gone through their reproductive stage, according to Produces.