Holy Week: fish goes up to S/4.50 in terminals

With the support of URPI

This Wednesday, a team from La República toured the main fishing terminals in Lima to verify the price of fish and other marine supplies that are usually consumed at Easter. We found that of the different types of fish on offer, prices rose by up to S/4.50 per kilo.

The terminals of Callao, Chorrillos and Villa María del Triunfo offer tuna between S/5.00 and S/8.00, last week it was S/3.50; horse mackerel is between S/4.00 and S/8.00, before S/3.80 and tilapia is at S/10.00, before it was S/8.00. In addition, it was possible to verify that neither sole nor cojinova had entered, for the moment. Other products that are usually purchased on these dates are shellfish (S/14.00 a kilo, S/2.00 has risen), crabs (6 units for S/10.00), yuyo (1/4 to S/2.00), egg cup (S/15.00) and squid (S/4.00).

The traders pointed out that accessible prices will be maintained as long as there is supplywhile some sellers choose to raise prices between 5% and 20% to make more profit.

the size of the fish

Although on these dates it has become a custom for Peruvians to eat more fish-based dishes, perhaps we are not noticing that the size of these is reducing over the years, why is it?

According Juan Carlos Riverosbiologist and scientific director of Oceana Peru, 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 respected, and that is the responsibility of the regional and local governments, the markets and the officials of the Ministry of Production (Produce).

“There are many species within artisanal fisheries that are in desperate need of some kind of regulation.Unfortunately, Produce has its eyes focused on deep-sea fishing, on the industrial fishingin 4 or 5 resources that are the bulk of the fishing rights”, says Riveros.

Consequences

The specialist warns that if we do not protect these resources and the five coastal miles, we will be putting our food security and the source of work of not only fishermen, but also merchants, fillet makers, cevicherías, among others, at risk. “Fish is the protein of refuge in the face of the increase in the cost of chicken, eggs, and let’s not even talk about red meat”recalled the biologist.

Data

Sizes. 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 stalk should be 60 cm long; however, most of these are sold in markets in just 40 cm.

Antecedent. Hake took 20 years to recover its size after it fell by 80 cm in 2000. at 23cm.