Artisanal fishing quay Los Chimus. (Photo: Produce)
PERU Friday, September 19, 2014, 22:10 (GMT + 9) The Peruvian government inaugurated the comprehensively improved artisanal fisheries quay (DAP) Los Chimus, adapted to the current sanitary standard, located in the district of Samanco in the Ancash region, on which PEN 7.6 million (USD 2.6 million) was invested.
It is expected that these improvements, achieved thanks to the National Fisheries Development Fund (FONDEPES) of the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE), provide the conditions for unloading, handling and conservation of aquatic resources captured by fishermen.
In addition, it will enable fishermen to have a modern artisanal fisheries infrastructure, which has been adapted to meet national and international market demands in compliance with the current sanitary regulations.
The ministry noted that the fisheries resources intended for direct human consumption will meet the standards of quality, optimum hygiene conditions, health and safety as part of the DPA improvement.
"We are modernizing quays throughout the country, it is very important because we are adjusting them to what the world demands, quality demands, international health, and what contributes to the possibility of getting fresher and better quality fish," said the head of the Ministry, Piero Ghezzi.
The DPA Los Chimus will directly benefit 568 artisanal fishermen, and indirectly to the same number of families, workers who develop related activities and are involved in the landing, handling, distribution processes and those performed before fishery product sales (smelt, squid, lorna, mullet, machete, horse mackerel, mackerel, cabinza, chiri, bonito, pintadilla, octopus and flounder, among others).
The government expects that this quay doubles its landing capacity from 700 to 1,500 daily tonnes, and increases its fish processing capacity from 5 tonnes to 20 tonnes per day.
Apart from Los Chimus, the authorities intend to conclude similar works this year to improve and adapt structures according to the sanitary regulation in DPA of Paita (Piura) and Chimbote (Ancash).
Ghezzi announced that in 2016 about 20 DPA are expected to be able to meet adequate sanitation standards, with a total investment of PEN 250 million (USD 85.5 million).
"We are going to continue supporting artisanal fishing a lot with a series of measures, the unconditional defense of the five nautical miles for artisanal fisheries," he added.