Artisanal fishing in danger if the minimum catch size of anchovy falls

“It is time to scientifically define whether the 12 cm minimum length in anchovy should be the current criterion to define whether an individual is juvenile or not,” said Pablo Trapunsky, CEO of Pesquera Diamante, a month ago on a social network.

The message today becomes relevant, since the order has already reached the Ministry of Production (Produces) in recent days, through the National Association of Fishing Shipowners of Law 26920 (ANAP) and the National Fisheries Society (SNP), guild to which the company led by Trapunsky is a member.

Concerned artisans

For Almensor Gómez, president of the Federation of Artisanal Fishermen of Áncash, The State must be creative and look for other alternatives if the anchovy is not available for capture due to climate change and the presence of El Niño.

“You cannot make a decision hastily just because the boss of a group of businessmen asks for it,” he said. Gómez, who has a long history as a fisherman, recalled that the anchovy enters the five miles to spawn “and all the species that exist in the coastal strip, from border to border, feed on that. But unfortunately, predation continues.” That is, if the reproduction of this species is not ensured, the marine resources captured by the fish are put at risk. artisanal fishermen and that reach the tables of Peruvian families every day.

Along these lines, Armando Paiva Morán, delegate of the El Toril Artisanal Fishermen’s Union of Paita (Piura), pointed out that the proposal to reduce the catch size of anchovy is “absurd” and responds to purely economic interests of the industry.

More consequences

For the fishing engineer Elmer Nieves, making this decision would bring more social conflicts and confrontations between artisanal and industrial. Likewise, he said that artisanal fishermen should be taken as an example, who when certain resources are scarce change their fishing gear and catch others. “In these moments of uncertainty, due to the presence of El Niño, it is not advisable to talk about reducing the minimum catch size. The biological behavior of the species under these conditions is different and would not be sufficient scientific support to make this decision,” he noted.

While the former Minister of Production José Luis Chicoma pointed out that the change in the catch size of the anchovy requires a study of Imarpewhich could take years, especially because it is necessary to understand “if the anchovy can really reproduce with smaller sizes in the face of new climatic conditions.”

Produce will create work tables with the fishing sector

After holding meetings with the ANAP, the SNP, among others, Produce announced that it will create working groups to reach consensus that will allow the development of the fishing activity, prioritizing the care of resources.

“The next step is to open more channels that allow us to jointly find solutions in the face of anomalous environmental conditions (…) especially within the framework of the law,” said Minister Ana María Choquehuanca.

It should be noted that the legislator was present at the last of these meetings. Bernardo Pazowho is promoting a law to formalize the fishing fleet and that could benefit members of his family.

Reactions

Armando Paiva, delegate of the El Toril Artisanal Fishermen’s Union

“If they begin to kill small anchovies, without ensuring their reproduction, it will affect not only artisanal fishing, but all marine resources.”

José Luis Chicoma, former Minister of Production

“In no way can the sustainability of a resource like anchovy be sacrificed in the face of pressures with purely economic interests.”