Piero Ghezzi, head of the Ministry of Production. (Photo: Produce)
PERUFriday, November 21, 2014, 23:30 (GMT + 9)
In Chimbote Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE) presented the scientific research vessel (BIC) Luis Flores Portugal, whose function will be to participate in fisheries and oceanographic research in the country’s coastline.
The head of the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE), Piero Ghezzi, congratulated IMARPE authorities on the significant achievement made when offering the vessel to the service of the nation and stressed that the scientific research is "one of the supports and pillars of the sustainable and responsible fishery policy" being developed his ministry.
The vessel Luis Flores Portugal was presented on Thursday at Shipyard TASA in Chimbote, after having been fully renovated and comprehensively repaired with an investment of PEN 5.5 million (USD 1.8 million).
The new boat joins IMARPE’s scientific fleet, which includes the vessels BIC Humboldt and BIC Olaya, and which will contribute to expanding the fishery and oceanographic research in coastal areas, as well as the investigations of new fisheries and those related to El Niño phenomenon.
Ghezzi said "the studies and research carried out by IMARPE underlie and justify the major decisions taken by the Ministry of Production" and stressed that it is considered a mistake to launch "public policies that are created without listening to the scientific body."
He also noted that to achieve fishery production diversification more scientific research is needed in order to establish possible developments at higher levels than the current ones.
He mentioned the case of giant squid, which is the second fishery in the country, as well as that of vinciguerria fish, another marine resource that has similar features to those of anchovy, which is used to make fishmeal.
"As we see from these examples, from the scientific research a number of possibilities that must be developed open and he added that vessels such as the Luis Flores Portugalwill help contribute on behalf of the country, the fishermen and the sector firms," he concluded.
The new research vessel was built in 1998 in the shipyards of the Navy Industrial Services (Sima Peru) and since its launch, it has participated in several research surveys in Peruvian waters.