Tuna export data is encouraging for the sector. More than 2,000 million dollars entered Ecuador for the export of the entire chain related to tuna last year, and for this year 2023 it is predicted that it could grow by an additional 20%, predict the representatives of the public and private sectors who marked the World Day this May 2 tuna, Guayaquil.

It is a sector that generates between 1,300 and 1,400 million dollars a year in tuna alone and 2,000 million dollars in fishing in general, plus 7,000 dollars from the aquaculture sector, pointed out Guillermo Morán, executive director of the Tunacons Foundation.

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Ecuador is the second largest producer of tuna in the world, said the president of the National Chamber of Fisheries, Bruno Leone, who added that last year, Ecuador ended with 9 percent more exports compared to 2021.

And growth is expected to continue “when we open the Asian markets, which have traditionally been closed to this product.” It was very complicated in terms of tariffs,” said the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, Julio José Prado, during his speech at the event organized by Tunacons and Nirsa.

The minister referred to the Action Plan against illegal fishing. As an example, he stated that mobilization guides for fishery products increased by 36% between 2020 and 2022, and that more than 163,000 mobilization guides have now been produced.

As for territorial control, it has increased by 155%, from 5,700 to around 15,000, as the number of personnel dedicated to fisheries control has doubled.

While landing control tracking confirmations increased by 65%, from 100,000 to 136,000. The control coverage of artisanal fishing vessels went from 10% to the current 42%, and in industrial fishing to 100% control.

“This makes Ecuador, both in industrial and artisanal fisheries, the one that has the most control over its fishing resources in the world, there is no one that has such control in other parts,” the official said.

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As for import permits, Prado pointed out that they have increased by 317%, that is, almost 3,000 are issued annually; catch certificates for exported products increased by 15% (from about 9,500 to almost 11,000 in 2022); and licenses for industrial fishing increased by 14%.

“This means that we have improved the traceability of the fishing sector in an extremely important way and this is what makes us international benchmarks,” he said.

Prado indicated that the state portfolio he leads also deals with issues related to fish farming and that it has increased significantly, especially in the central Sierra, where they are devoted to trout and tilapia farming. In 2020, they delivered 200,000 trout and tilapia fry; in 2022, they reached 1.2 million younger people. “If we double that amount this year and start connecting tilapia, trout with the industrial tuna fishing value chains we already have, it could be a new industry for the central Sierra.”

For leaving the ‘yellow card’

The process for the European Union to withdraw the yellow card it gave Ecuador in 2019 is also progressing. The minister said that there is a risk that the country will not be able to export to Europe if they introduce a red card. But now “we are in the final stretch. For this month, we will finish all the processes of the automatic fishing system, which is the most modern system in Latin America for fish conservation, for traceability and that makes us the most modern country in terms of data, which will allow us to preserve our seas, work on sustainable industry issues.”

He indicated that constant meetings are being held with the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, which is the holder of the yellow card, as well as various audits, the last of which was in December last year.

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Prado commented that Andrés Arens, Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, is in Bali, where he will speak with staff from that direction to inform them that he will send the latest report on the progress of the yellow card within 15 days.

“We are 100% convinced that with this report we will fulfill all the needs to get out of the yellow card. We ask the Administration to come as soon as possible to do its audit and so that we can move on, it promised to do it in September-October this year, we hope it can be earlier because we have all the processes ready”, held.

At the end of the World Tuna Day event, Alberta Vallarino, former MasterChef participant, prepared three recipes with the celebrated product, lasagna, tacos and salad.