National Fisheries Society of Peru president Elena Conterno Martinelli. (Photo: Produce)
The president of the National Fisheries Society of Peru (SNP), Elena Conterno, warned that during the first half of 2014 the fishing activity was the worst in 15 years as a result of the 68 per cent of the anchovy quota assigned by the Government that vessels were able to capture.
Therefore, on behalf of the SNP she called for support to the Executive to amend Supreme Decree 005, which prevents industrial vessels from capturing anchovy between miles 5 and 10.
Conterno explained that when the warming water event takes place, El Niño phenomenon forces the anchovy to remain on the coast so the industrial sector "only sees the specimen pass along" and the resource is lost.
That limitation caused the industry to stop exporting for USD 124 million and firms to lose about USD 14 million for non-recovered investments.
"We all agree about the objectives of the rule, but these have not been met. We see that the direct human consumption of the anchovy has gone from 125,000 tonnes in 2011 to less than 30,000 tonnes this year," she stressed.
In addition, she highlighted that in 2013, about 10 out of 12 companies associated to the SNP reported losses and this year a similar situation would happen again.
Therefore, she insisted that the fisheries sector needs government support to resurface.
According to Conterno, in the first fishing season losses totalled USD 360 million.
"We will not allow fishing to continue fading," she stressed.
Furthermore, through the Institute of Social and Economic Studies (IEES), the National Society of Industries announced the direct loans to the sector last August totalled PNL 28,698 million (USD 9,954 million), that is to say, 12.4 per cent more than in the same month in 2013, reported Diario Correo.