The construction of new fishing vessels has been illegal for 8 years, according to Supreme Decree 006-2015 issued by the Ministry of Production (Produce) and on the recommendation of the Institute of the Sea of Peru (Imarpe) when it was verified that the fleet had increased, which generated greater fishing pressure on the resources, in addition to the fact that the time and effort that the fishermen used for the catches had also increased, in a way that directly affected their income.
For 2018, Legislative Decree 1393 was issued, which provided that the places of construction of boats be intervened, as well as the destruction of these and the implements used for this purpose; However, said measure could not be applied because the Public Ministry indicates that, for example, to make a lockout, a judicial authorization is required, but this is only granted in the case of a crime and not an administrative infraction, according to Carmen Heck, Policy Director of Oceana Peru.
“The Public Ministry is not using the norm. They say that the judge is not going to authorize a lockdown if it is only an administrative infraction and not a crime. So the illegal construction simply continues as before the issuance of this decree legislation”, the specialist told The Republic.
Heck adds that the consequences of continuing to build boats are serious, because in 2015 it was shown that the fishing fleet was already too big for what our ecosystem can support. Chimbote, Illo, Paita and Zorritos were identified as the most recurrent areas of illegal construction, according to Dicapi in 2017.
Two Congressional Bills Could Make a Difference
Two initiatives have been presented in the Congress of the Republic that could make a difference. These are bills 3413 and 3557, by José Jerí Oré (Somos Perú) and Héctor Ventura Ángel (Popular Force), respectively. Both proposals coincide in incorporating the construction or modification of boats as a crime in the Penal Code.
Those who break the law will be given a prison sentence of not less than three years nor more than five. The proposals were presented in 2022 and since then they have been in the Justice Commission, a working group led by Américo Gonza Castillo (Free Peru). It should be noted that the second ordinary legislature of the period 2022-2023 was extended until Friday, June 23.
Source: Larepublica
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