Ecuadorian tuna vessels request approval of regulations for the East and West Pacific

Standardize sustainable fishing on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, the east and the west, manage new tariff preferences for Ecuadorian fishery products and implement true transparency and traceability of the origin of the processed tuna that reaches consumers, are the orders that Protuna, an association of tuna shipowners from Guayaquil and Manta, exposes the authorities.

This, according to Protuna, taking advantage of the proposal to create a new maritime corridor to guarantee the conservation of resources.

Learn about Ecuador’s five proposals to combat illegal fishing and guarantee resources

In the case of homologation, it would be sought that the existing regulations on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean, where the Ecuadorian fishing fleet operates, also apply to the western side, where this type of organization does not exist.

On the east side, for example, according to Protuna, there are regulations such as the prohibition of fleet growth, which is why Ecuador has maintained the same quotas for 20 years; two annual closures for 75 days, prohibition of transshipment and resupply at sea, observers on board and return to port to resupply for a new fishing operation.

The Ecuadorian tuna fleet has 115 boats and adding to the small pelagic boats and other vessels they reach 569. However, these 115 vessels represent 85% of the country’s total fishing that annually exports $ 1.6 billion in different fishery products, of which 85% is tuna, and generates more than 200,000 jobs between industry and artisans.

“These conditions have guaranteed the sustainability of the species and for this reason our tuna is coveted, awarded and our tuna fleet is an example in the world,” Protuna highlighted in a document.

However, all these regulations do not exist on the west side, as explained by the association, which assured that there are no limits to the growth of fleets, they make transshipments and load fuel on the high seas and the huge vessels never return to port and have no closures.

However, another problem is that the fishing that is taken care of with these regulations on the eastern side of the Pacific preys on the western side, due to the fact that tuna is a highly migratory and straddling species.

Ecuador’s fish exports grew 9.11% in the first quarter of 2021

According to Protuna, based on figures from the OROP IATTCC Foreign Trade Platform / Veritrade catches, 1.3 tons of tuna are imported for every tonne caught. From January to September they have been captured 187,453 tons of tuna, but they have been imported 245,699 tons.

In addition, between August 2020 and last August the percentage of tuna catches fell by 9 %, but imports grew 42%.

“It cannot be possible that the fishing we conserve in Ecuador is being depredated on the Asian side of the Pacific, where fleets from many countries that do not have sustainable practices operate,” Protuna lamented, adding that it is not coherent that “a State and NGO Conservationists, who in their jurisdictions say they care about the sea and regulate fleets, on the other hand, don’t worry and even sponsor the importation of tens of thousands of tons of fishery products from predatory fleets ”.