Artisanal sailing fishing, a sustainable tradition that refuses to disappear

You think that you will not be able to reach the safe port, perhaps you have forgotten who your captain is. Trust sailor, give Him the helm, He will save your life and your entire boat (…), locals and visitors sing and applaud, in front of the image of Saint Peterpatron saint of fishermen, who will venture out to sea the next day (last Thursday June 29).

There are only a few hours left to celebrate Fisherman’s Day, in Caleta de Cabo Blanco —El Alto, Talara—, but also to start a new edition of the Great Regatta of the Century, a sailing competition where artisanal fishermen from El Ñuro, Talara, among other areas, bring out all their experience in the art and tradition of dominating the wind. Organizations such as H2Oceanos and Oceana Peru promote its realization.

from parents to children

“Since we were in school, since we were 12 years old, our father began to take us to fishing trips to see how the movement was there in the sea,” says Ubaldo Tume (44), a native of Cabo Blanco, who Together with his 3 brothers, he will participate in the regatta on the boat “San Miguel Arcángel”.

The practice of fishing with artisanal sailboats arose in pre-Hispanic times and survived thanks to the transmission of this knowledge from one generation to another and has been the fundamental axis of these societies.

The boats and rafts were not only used for transportation but also to improve various fishing techniques with which they obtained resources to eat, as is still the case today.

Because it has endured over time, adapting to environmental changes in a sustainable way —since it does not require the use of an engine or fossil fuel—, which does not disturb the great variety of species that reproduce in this area of ​​the tropical sea of ​​the Pacific, in addition to being part of the lifestyle and cultural identity of the fishing families of Cabo Blanco and El Ñuro, for 5 years it was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation by the Ministry of Culture (Mincul).

Besides, the Law 31749 recently approved, which prioritizes artisanal and ancestral fishing within five miles, will also be key in preserving this activity, since only tackle that does not harm the ecosystem will be used throughout this area, and smaller-scale mechanized purse seine vessels (32.6 cubic meters of warehouse capacity) must operate from mile three.

Less and less fishing

The president of the Cabo Blanco Fishermen’s Guild, Carlos Chapilliquen, is concerned that fishing is no longer what it used to be, when this cove became one of the main sport fishing destinations in the world. Not even the author of The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest HemingwayHe resisted meeting her.

But he is hopeful that one day he will be able to teach his grandchildren to fish. “We raise the sail, with the force of the wind we run, the more wind the more fishing, that is why in this cove we have the world record for the largest black marlin of 1,560 pounds (707 kilos). I think it will be unbeatable because there are no longer that type of marlins. so i’m pretty worried because fishing is declining“, Explain.

For his part, Marcelino Gonzales, president of the El Ñuro Fishermen’s Guild, points out that jack mackerel, mackerel, and peje catches are increasingly scarce because medium-sized vessels, known as boliches and trawlers, sweep up everything within their reach. step permanently damaging the ecosystem.

“Climate change is also affecting some species,” Gonzales points out, but despite the adversity, they are not tempted to use other fishing methods or technology that would help them catch more. “For us it is enough to have a wing that will allow us to come and go, and know where we are going to arrive”, he emphasizes.

For the Cabo Blanco leader, the scarcity of resources also has to do with oil exploitation in the area, which began in the early 1900s. “All oil platforms must be maintained,” he demands.

Chapilliquen explains that he does not share the position of the fishermen from Los Órganos, where there is opposition to removing the MX1 platform because an artificial reef has formed; for him the danger is greater if it is maintained since they are corroded structures that can collapse at any moment and cause greater damage. This is another of the problems pending to be resolved by the authorities in this area of ​​the country.

one more race

Came the day. It is Thursday, June 29, and while the mass is taking place in the Cabo Blanco chapel, between the biblical readings, the voices of protest from a group of 20 fishermen break out, heading to the artisanal fishing landing stage. They want to enter, but the police prevent them from passing.

Already at the door, they argue that they are against the pollution of the sea by oil companies; However, they themselves confirmed to us that a part of the group are bowlers and they are also opposed to Law 31749, because “it does not have the opinion of technical entities” and because only the voice of “10 fishermen” was considered. When in reality the law was promoted by more than 30 fishermen’s unions from all over the coast and the Ministry of Production (Produce) is preparing the regulations for its application.

The group, for now, moves its protest to the seashore, where a few meters away, San Pedro is embarked to start the aquatic procession, a custom that is repeated throughout the Peruvian coast. On his return, the Peruvian flag is hoisted, giving notice to the 16 boats competing in the regatta that they can depart. The sails spread and begin to move rapidly.

From the pier, more than 200 people watch the departure and patiently await the return of the first boat in the company of blue-footed boobies, tendrils and pelicans, as well as sea turtles and sea lions that usually swim nearby, waiting for them. that a fisherman throws food at them, as happens on a normal day.

“San Miguel Arcángel” is the first ship to arrive, the sail is lowered and its crew members raise their arms in victory. A few hours later, after raising the cup, David Tume (42)—Ubaldo’s brother and captain of the boat—reports that he himself assembled and sewed the sail that made him win.

He confesses that although he has an 11-year-old son, he prefers that he continue studying because the fishing “It’s not like before,” but he will continue fishing “until God allows it,” he concludes. So be it.

Lack of precision about the ancestral

Approach. Daniela Laínez, social ecologist

In Peru, ancestral fishing dates back to 8000-5000 BC. C. What characterizes it? The rudimentary and selective tools such as the hook and small nets that precede the use of boats. However, the law no. 31749 takes as the only criterion to define the ‘ancestral’ to the embarked fishing recognized by the Mincul.

Where is the non-boarded fishing? The one that from the shore only uses a hook, line and basket, as they did in Caral. Or fishing for black shells in Tumbes, a National Cultural Heritage that does not use a boat.

Where is the boat fishing still not recognized by the mincul? Like fishing in small rafts made of balsa wood, the successor to the large sailing rafts on which our first encounter with the West took place.

If we do not amend the definition from a historical and anthropological approach, the next ‘Registry of Ancestral Traditional Fishermen’ could marginalize fishermen from crucial cultural practices for sustainability and food security, which offer us the best quality and flavorful fishing.